Five new COVID-19 cases reported in Iqaluit Sunday
Total active cases stand at 72
Premier Joe Savikataaq reported five new cases of COVID-19 and seven recoveries on Sunday. (Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay)
There were five new COVID-19 cases in Iqaluit along with seven recoveries, bringing the number of active cases in Nunavut’s capital to 72, Premier Joe Savikataaq reported Sunday.
That’s two fewer active cases than he reported Saturday.
All of the territory’s cases are in Iqaluit, following the recent recoveries of cases in Kinngait and Rankin Inlet.
While new cases continue to be detected in Iqaluit, the government has also been reporting the recoveries of people whose infections were detected earlier in the outbreak, which began more than three weeks ago. There have been 98 recoveries since Iqaluit’s outbreak began, Savikataaq said.
Officials have emphasized the importance of following public health measures aimed at preventing the disease’s spread, such as avoiding social gatherings.
Government of Nunavut officials are scheduled to provide an update on the COVID-19 situation at the legislative assembly at 11 a.m., eastern time. Its COVID-19 updates are livestreamed on the legislative assembly’s website.
Iqaluit’s first COVID-19 case was reported on April 14. Two days later, chief public health officer Dr. Michael Patterson confirmed the city was dealing with an outbreak.
Last week, Patterson said social gatherings, including house parties, are the main way COVID-19 is spreading in Iqaluit.
Last Monday, Iqaluit city council declared a local state of emergency, a move that gave the city some extra powers under Nunavut’s Emergency Measures Act to help the city deal with the outbreak.
Across Nunavut, there have been 560 cases of COVID-19 since the World Health Organization declared the respiratory illness to be a global pandemic nearly 14 months ago. Four deaths have been recorded in the territory.
Across Canada, there have been 1,229,971 cases recorded, including 24,568 deaths, as of Saturday, according to the federal government’s COVID-19 update website.
Up to today there has been 560 cases in Nunavut, 99 in NWT (all recovered and no deaths) and 82 in Yukon, total. Gov measures and reactions are borderline against human rights… something is not right here in Nunavut
No there is nothing “up”.
It is well known how Covid 19 spreads. The totals for Nunavut include Sanikiluaq, Arviat , Whale Cove , Iqaluit, Kingait and Rankin for a second time.
The amazing part is we have kept it under control as well as we have had so due thanks to people following the rules.
Talk of human rights violations is totally inappropriate and totally incorrect.
Thanks, This is not successful.
I agree. Sadly, the human rights abuse and blatant social engineering is as bad or worse in many other so-called democracies. We are unobservant and complacent to accept this level of non-science and this extent of compliance
I am so sick of this “human rights abuse” rhetoric. What rights of yours are being abused and how? Your “right” to have a party? Guess what, the virus doesn’t care what rights you have. Also, rights are not absolute and come with responsibilities. Your “right” to get together with your friends and family is secondary to another person’s right not to die because of your irresponsibility. Be an adult and realize that we’re dealing with pandemic and you’re just going to have to bear it and go without for a while.
Nunavut has the strictest border control yet amongst the territories we are the champ(NOT!) at over 500 cases. Don’t blame that on overcrowded housing, please. NWT has the same problem. the quarantine requirement for the other 2 territories have evolved but Nunavut is still stuck on day 1 of the pandemic. And the comment about the pfizer vaccine for youth by Paterson is infuriating! Because the dose will only benefit Iqaluit, the GN is not looking at it. That is utterly stupid and also irresponsible. Just because youths in the communities cant get it due to logistical challenge, then Iqaluit youth are not getting it, how stupid is that? Last I seen the cases are in Iqaluit with the bulk being kids.How many kids come to Iqaluit for medical? probably a fair bit then vaccinate them! At least there will be say 10 kids in a community vaccinated instead of zero!
The measures enacted by various governments in no way violate your “human rights”. Many people forget, or don’t even realize that in order for society to grant “rights” citizens also have to accept certain “responsibilities”.
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One of those responsibilities is to ensure that you do not spread contagious diseases, which in the case of Covid-19 may be fatal. In case you haven’t noticed there have been over 157 million infections and over 3 million deaths worldwide due to this virus. And any “expert” will tell you that these numbers underestimate the total infections and deaths (possibly by a factor of two or three).
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Yes Nunavut has done better at controlling Covid-19 than other locations in Canada, but overall when compared to many countries Canada has done very poorly.
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We should be ashamed of our collective response not patting ourselves on the back.
Old trapper, have you heard about the Moderna vaccine? It is 94% effective against the worst symptoms of Covid-19. It was reported last week that 80% of adults in Iqaluit have a least 1 dose of this science marvel and will have there 2nd dose in a few weeks. If you ask me, the roll out of the vaccine was painfully slow and just shows how serious our leaders are. Wearing a mask outside in the street and closing the playgrounds will not prevent anything.
I agree with you only on one point: If we are so intolerant to any risk that we have to be at 0 cases to be comfortable then Iqaluit should have been shutdown completely as soon as they found the first case 3 weeks ago. But no, oh no, the GN is way too scared that there employees will be paid at doing nothing. Well guess what, they are now paid to pretend to work. Workplaces and indoor gatherings are the main spreader events.
This is a joke of a lockdown, it is easier to list what is closed (schools, daycares, bars, restaurants dinning in and playgrounds) than what is open. EVERYTHING else is open! But one need to wear a mask when walking alone in the street?!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We can be reasonable and give it another month of social distancing for the people that are waiting for there 2nd dose and let some time for it to become effective but after that, Iqaluit have to return to a normal life.
Don’t give me the excuse of the kids that are not vaccinated, they don’t get seriously sick when getting the virus. Risk zero is not something we should accept as the end goal because it comes with too many consequences in other area of our existence.
Not only have I heard about the Moderna vaccine, I have been vaccinated with it (first dose).
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I’m not sure what your point is, but I do know the various vaccine stats as I’ve been following the literature quite closely.
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In Moderna’s trials the efficacy was 94.5% at least two weeks after the second dose of the vaccine. With one dose the efficacy is closer to 50% after two weeks, but it is thought that this increases. Most provinces are now following the NACI guidelines, rather than the manufacturer’s recommendation, and extending the second dose for up to 16 weeks after the first dose.
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As for Covid ZERO versus our current plan, which apparently is to reduce it to an acceptable level, I disagree that this is not achievable. Look at New Zealand or Australia, they have been able to achieve this and frankly it just takes the will of the federal and provincial governments to enact sensible (and time limited) restrictions.
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My main point is that we should have taken the steps to get Covid-19 to ZERO, and we still need to do that as it is the preferred method of handling this pandemic.
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My point is also that 1.2 million Canadians contracted Covid-19 when it could have been avoided. Over 24,000 Canadians died, and most of those died needlessly. This doesn’t even count the people who have died because of other illnesses or diseases that aren’t being treated because our hospitals and ICUs are full of Covid-19 patients.
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And then there is the vast human toll. First on our first line medical workers, physically and mentally. What about all the small business that have gone bankrupt. The people who have been evicted from their apartments or lost their houses because they no longer had a job.
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The cost of the pandemic is immense, and most of it could have been avoided.
Old Trapper,
My point is:
Stop asking politicians to do the right thing, they will inevitably do the wrong thing.
Stop asking the various public health officials to do the right thing, they have tunnel vision and don’t consider any other variables other than what you ask them to look at.
Stop asking the society to do the right thing, some individuals will do what you think is right and some will do what they think is right.
Lockdowns are supposed to be temporary measures until a better solution is found. The better solution is here.
The landscape is changing with the vaccine roll out. In Nunavut, no politician or good doctor tough about medeling with the vaccine manufacture recommendations so we are receiving our 2nd dose 28 days after the first one.
Time to think about normal life in about a month.
Not sure about your GN job but I have been flat out the entire time. I’m probably minority though.
Arviat Strong!
Make Iqaluit Great Again
When was it ever great?
A good chunk of the viral spread are with the young and partying. What is this government doing about it, ZERO! Other places are using the Pfizer vaccine to give to their young citizens. The excuse being, it requires cold storage and can’t be shipped to smaller communities but it can be good 5 days after being stored. Duh the virus is in Iqaluit and no place else! Other places are enforcing their no party laws to stop them from spreading. There is not a single charge for partying here. Just a useless bunch of MInisters and MLAs run by bureaucrats who do nothing!
Our honorable Premier, Chief Medical Office, Mayor and Minister were very busy and work for Nunavummiut, however cases are still growing, something need to be done strictly. Interestingly low barrier shelter staff isolated, shelter closed, homeless have to move somewhere else. Elders Home staff isolated, residents have to move south and other facilities. Staff got isolated, everyone has to move out the building. Is that building contaminated? Just wonder who will be next.