8 Nunavut elders at Embassy West test positive for COVID-19

Unclear whether any elders at the long-term care facility caught disease for a 2nd time

Nunavut Health Minister John Main announced on March 28 that eight Nunavut elders living at Embassy West long-term care centre in Ottawa have contracted COVID-19. (Photo by Jeff Pelletier)

By Nunatsiaq News

Eight Nunavut elders who live at the Embassy West Senior Living long-term care facility in Ottawa have tested positive for COVID-19, Health Minister John Main announced Monday.

“I know this is concerning for everyone, especially those with family members at the facility,” Main said in a news release.

So far, cases are contained to one floor of the facility and Inuktitut interpreters are on site to help the elders understand the situation and what needs to be done to keep them safe, he added.

The Health Department is monitoring the situation and Embassy West has put “strict COVID-19 protocols” in place, Main said.

These include limiting visitors, screening and testing staff and clients, and keeping residents isolated.

Main said the facility currently has enough staff to handle the situation.

On Jan. 5, Main announced five elders at Embassy West had tested positive for COVID-19. That number eventually rose to eight, and on Jan. 18, Main said everybody who ended up catching the disease had recovered.

Monday’s news release did not say whether any of the elders who currently have COVID-19 tested positive during the first outbreak and have now caught the virus a second time.

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(5) Comments:

  1. Posted by Novid on

    I thought the GN denied the existence of Covid starting today…

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    • Posted by Crystal Clarity on

      No one said it didn’t exist anymore. We need to learn to live with it now like we do with other diseases. The subvariants are not as virulent as the original COVID strain and we now have vaccines and treatments. We can’t stay shut down forever. The economy will collapse. We need to get on with life now so stopping acting like a drama queen.

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  2. Posted by Elder on

    “contained to one floor” means second floor where the Inuit are. That is not comforting to say regarding Inuit.
    When will GN purchase a building for Inuit only in the south until the ones are built in the North? It can later be sold when there is no longer any need for it. By Inuit for Inuit is a good motto for the new (temporary) building.

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    • Posted by Crystal Clarity on

      I’m sure this is not the stupidest thing I wuill hear today, but you’ve set the bar high for the rest of the day to be sure.

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  3. Posted by John K on

    Sorry. We aren’t supposed to care about this anymore.

    Best of luck.

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