COVID-19 GN Update – April 28, 2021

Press Release

28 April 2021

Premier’s update:

Good morning. Today, we are reporting six new cases and five recoveries of COVID-19, all in Iqaluit. There are 50 active cases in the territory – 46 in Iqaluit, two in Kinngait and two in Rankin Inlet. There have been 33 recoveries to date in this outbreak.

To date, 15,528 Nunavummiut have received their first dose of the Moderna vaccine, and 12,285 Nunavummiut are now fully vaccinated.

Today, I wanted to address something that seems to be misunderstood in our communities. For some reason, I’m seeing a lot of commentary about Iqaluit not having restrictions.

Nunavummiut, this is not the case at all. Iqaluit has been in lockdown since April 14. Schools, bars, restaurants and non-essential businesses are all closed. People are working from home and kids are learning remotely. I’m not sure where this misrepresentation came from, but rest assured, we are taking this outbreak very seriously here.

There are good reasons to be concerned about COVID-19 and the situation across the country. But we also need to stay calm and know our personal responsibility in keeping this under control to make sure we limit the spread. We are all in this together. We always have been. Make sure you do your part.

Nunavummiut, you know what to do. Mask up. Wash your hands. Keep at least six feet distance from others when you’re outside. Stay home as much as possible. Get vaccinated.

Take care and stay safe.

Minister of Health Update:

As you all know, we have dedicated staff working around the clock during this COVID-19 outbreak. They all deserve our thanks and gratitude. What they do not need is verbal abuse or anger.

It has come to my attention that this has been happening to the nurses on the other end of the COVID hotline, and that is unacceptable. These people are working tirelessly for you, for our communities and for the well-being of our territory.

I know many people are worried and scared right now. This is completely normal. And the wait times to get through on the hotline are longer than usual as we deal with this outbreak in Iqaluit.

I’m asking that you show our staff patience, compassion and understanding. They deserve that, at the very least. Your fears and frustrations are not an excuse to mistreat or harass them.

We know this is an imperfect system, and we are working to find solutions and efficiencies. But in the meantime, I’m asking everyone to show care, gratitude and understanding to everyone. They are working hard for you, and that is a selfless job.

Thank you to all staff who continue to dedicate their time and energy to keeping us safe. We appreciate you.

Chief Public Health Officer Update:

Good Morning.

Today we are announcing 6 new cases and 5 recoveries in Iqaluit. In both Kinngait and Rankin Inlet there are 2 cases of active COVID-19 infection. The territorial total is 50 people with active COVID-19.

Earlier this week, we announced that the B.1.1.7 variant has been detected and appears to be the only strain of COVID-19 in Nunavut. Although this variant spreads more easily than the original strain, other jurisdictions have been able to control the spread of this strain with public health measures and vaccination, and these measures will work for Nunavut as well.

Currently, there are increased measures in communities where there is a higher chance of COVID-19 arriving. These are designed so that if COVID-19 arrives it is less likely to spread as fast as it would in other times. Nevertheless, there are many things individuals can do to protect themselves and their community. Limiting the size of group gatherings, wearing masks, especially indoors, and eliminating non-essential travel, protects not only each individual who follows the recommendations, but the community as well.

Experience has shown that contact tracing works to stop transmission. It takes a lot of hard work by a dedicated team of health care professionals. But those professionals depend on the co-operation of everyone who has COVID-19 or has been exposed to COVID-19. It also depends on people being tested, sometimes repeatedly. I would like to take this opportunity to thank those who have participated in this important work, including community members who have been exposed, and provided vital information and agreed to being tested.

Lastly, I would like to remind everyone that the time needed for isolation after infection or exposure can vary a lot, depending on the circumstances. For those who have been infected with COVID-19, you will need to isolate for at least 10 days, and only leave isolation when cleared by a public health nurse.

If you’ve been told to isolate because you’ve been exposed to COVID-19 you will need to isolate for at least 14 days. A negative test is reassuring but does not mean that isolation ends early. When isolating you should not go to work or shopping, and if someone in a house is isolating, you should not be having any visitors inside the house

As part of the Government of Nunavut’s (GN) effort to protect Nunavummiut against the risk of COVID-19, GN Departments are implementing the following:

Department of Health Services

COVID-19 Hotline: To determine if you need a COVID-19 test or are a part of the testing notice from the Chartroom, call the COVID-19 hotline at 1-888-975-8601. The nurses will take your information and you will be called when an appointment time is set.

For all the latest information and resources about COVID-19 in Nunavut, go to:https://www.gov.nu.ca/health/information/covid-19-novel-coronavirus

For the latest information on current public health restrictions, go to: https://www.gov.nu.ca/health/information/nunavuts-path

For information on upcoming vaccine clinics go to:https://gov.nu.ca/health/information/covid-19-vaccination

COVID-19 GN Update – April 28, 2021

NationTalk Partners & Sponsors Learn More