Curfew imposed in Ivujivik to curb COVID-19 spread

A curfew will be imposed in Ivujivik starting Wednesday evening in response to the recent COVID-19 outbreak.

In a news release, the Kativik Regional Government announced that Ivujivimmiut will be required to stay at home from 11 p.m. until 7 a.m. The curfew will remain in effect for an indefinite period of time.

The curfew was imposed by Jean-Pierre Larose, the chief of the Nunavik Police Service and director of public security, as a precautionary measure aimed at containing the spread of COVID-19. As of Oct. 12, there were seven active cases of the virus in Ivujivik. The police will enforce the curfew in co-operation with the Northern Villages.

In addition to the curfew, standard flights in and out of Ivujivik are cancelled until further notice. The airport also remains closed to all traffic except for essential services.

In the statement, Larose encouraged people to stay at home because “the fewer the contacts between the residents of the different communities, the more chances residents will give themselves to limit the virus from spreading.”

Visits to the Co-op store should be limited to one member of a household and be for as short a duration as possible, said the statement. Residents should continue to respect proper preventive measures when making essential visits outside the home.

All Nunavimmiut are encouraged to get vaccinated as soon as possible to help stop the spread of the virus.