Nunavut has 20 new cases of Covid-19, raising the territorial total to 94 active infections, including a couple of newly-detected cases in Cambridge Bay.
As of Thursday, Iqaluit has the most cases at 31, Rankin Inlet has 28, there are 13 in Pangnirtung, 10 in Sanirajak, six in Arviat, two in Cambridge Bay and Qikiqtarjuaq and one each in Iglulik and Baker Lake.
“This wave of Covid-19 is quickly spreading across Nunavut, Canada and the globe,” said Nunavut’s chief public health officer Dr. Michael Patterson. “We have seen how rapidly and easily it can be transmitted, and it is vital that we all work to limit this trend. Please stay home; don’t gather; wear a mask; get vaccinated. Only one person per household should go to the store – it is not a place to socialize. The seriousness of the Omicron variant and how it is overwhelming our health care system cannot be overstated.”
Nunavummiut must abide by strict public health measures until at least Jan. 17. That includes travel restrictions for Rankin Inlet, Iqaluit, Pangnirtung, Sanirajak, Iglulik and Arviat. Travel to and from those communities is restricted to essential purposes only, as well as residents returning to their home community or travelling to southern Canada.
Non-essential travel, especially between communities in Nunavut, is highly discouraged, according to the Department of Health.
Anyone who develops Covid-19 symptoms – runny nose, cough, sore throat, fever or difficulty breathing – should call the Covid hotline at 1-888-975-8601 between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. EDT or notify their community health centre right away by telephone. There are longer wait times to get through to the hotline, so please remain patient. Please do not go to the health centre in person.