Igloolik re-enters lockdown as COVID-19 cases and exposures spike
Not enough capacity to do proper contact tracing, says Dr. Michael Patterson
Nunavut’s chief public health officer, Dr. Michael Patterson, provided more information on Igloolik’s COVID-19 outbreak on Tuesday. (Photo by David Venn)
Igloolik is under Nunavut’s strictest public health orders as COVID-19 cases and household contacts are on the rise in the community of about 1,900.
The new rules came into effect Monday afternoon, restricting travel to the community and closing schools less than 24 hours after they reopened.
Dr. Michael Patterson, Nunavut’s chief public health officer, said the orders are in response to a significant rise in cases of COVID-19 over the weekend.
“I fully expect that over the next two to three days we’ll see much higher numbers in Igloolik,” he said at a news conference on Tuesday.
Before the weekend, there hadn’t been a case of the virus in Igloolik for 10 days. By Tuesday there were 24 cases of COVID-19 in the community, up from 13 on Monday.
Patterson said on top of cases rising, there have been more people calling the COVID-19 hotline from Igloolik than any other community in the territory.
“The number of households that have been exposed has risen dramatically as well,” he said.
Staff at the local health centre have enough tests lined up to keep their ID NOW machines — which analyze rapid test swabs — busy at least until the end of Wednesday, Patterson said.
This means it will take two to three days longer to get test results back in Igloolik until the backlog is cleared.
Identifying everybody who might have been exposed to COVID-19 has also become a challenge in the hamlet.
“We’re at the point in Igloolik where there’s not enough capacity to do proper contact tracing,” Patterson said.
Travel to and from Igloolik is now only permitted for essential purposes.
Anyone who has left Igloolik since Jan. 17 is being asked to isolate for seven days immediately if they are vaccinated and isolated for 10 days if they are not vaccinated. Indoor gatherings are not allowed and outdoor gatherings are limited to five people.
Schools will stay closed until Patterson advises otherwise and daycares can open for children of essential workers. Churches, libraries, arenas, government offices and all non-essential businesses are closed.
In-person group counselling is not allowed and elder facilities are closed to visitors. Restaurants can stay open to offer takeout only.
Across Nunavut, a total of 247 active cases were reported on Tuesday.
There have been 518 recoveries in total and one death during the current wave of COVID-19.
There were a total of 247 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Nunavut on Tuesday. (Graphic by Mélanie Ritchot)
Active case breakdown:
- Arviat — 24
- Baker Lake — 37
- Cambridge Bay — 24
- Chesterfield Inlet — 1
- Coral Harbour — 11
- Igloolik — 24
- Iqaluit — 41
- Gjoa Haven — 0
- Kimmirut — 1
- Kinngait — 13
- Kugluktuk — 0 (+ 1 presumptive case)
- Naujaat — 11
- Pond Inlet — 2
- Qikiqtarjuaq — 1
- Rankin Inlet — 18
- Sanikiluaq — 29
- Sanirajak — 4
- Taloyoak — 3
- Whale Cove — 3
Sanikiluaq‘s case count went from one to 29 in about a week, making it the hamlet with the second-highest case count, behind Baker Lake.
The case count in Kinngait went from 22 to 13 on Tuesday and Gjoa Haven dipped back down to zero cases from five.
A single presumptive case of COVID-19 in Kugluktuk has not yet been confirmed.
Patterson confirmed at the conference more shipments of Pfizer’s pediatric vaccine will start arriving in communities on Jan. 30. Kids from five to 11 are eligible to take it.
Health Minister John Main said more vaccine clinics are coming to communities in February.
Mass vaccine clinics will be held in 16 communities and the vaccine will be available by appointment in eight communities. The details about where and when the clinics will be held have not yet been released.
Patterson and Premier P.J. Akeeagok will hold an update on the COVID-19 situation in Nunavut on Thursday at 11 a.m., which can be streamed on the legislative assembly’s website.
One of the biggest anti vaccine communities in Nunavut. Why does the local preacher go in the radio and tell everyone that the vaccine is the mark of the beast and people who get it are going to hell? This is happening and no one is saying anything. It is sick and messed up. No surprise the community is going through this. Sad.
I thought schools were to remain open regardless of transmission? Iqaluit, Rankin, and other areas that have numerous cases are open. The true numbers in these communities are much higher than the numbers the GN tend to make up each day. Could the pull of a DEA that was in debt 2 million dollars be at play here…?
it seems as though colonialism has reared its ugly head again, perpetrated by the people it most affected. Stop giving donations to the churches, giving churches money has never stopped the sexual assaults and pedophilia from occurring in the north, break the cycle please for our children.
The Dec 23rd lockdown was also disregarded and Christmas Mass was held.
Correct, some Igloolik-miut did celebrate christmas church services despite public closure. That was when the caseload was from only 1 family and chances of spreading were almost nil, no one who attended those church services got affected. The second wave, blatant outright disregard of safety protocols by the younger generation who have no qualms about where or how they got substances to abuse (yes mikkis are freely sold for $150 here). The elder radio announcers are scared off from running programs, hamlet is seeming to finally step up, etc. Bottom line, yes there are religious people here, but they are not spreaders of covid, comment barking up the wrong inuksuk.
The whole Nunavut territory should be on lockdown, close all the schools .
CPHO and GN are to blame IF the territory gets shortage of nurses. Fuck sakes! Health care workers must be tired with endless on call duty.
Most of all! It’s the idiots who keeps going around then spread the virus. Put the whole territory on lockdown. Dr. Patterson, if you care about the people and those who are risking their life trying to help the people in need, lockdown should be effective immediately for NUNAVUT.
One of my children is a nurse, the health centers have been very busy, just because ppl do not listens to anything that might give Nunavut a little relief, ppl are still sneaking for parties, gambling and for others not pleasant to married couple’s stability, goodness ppl personal addictions really that strong? But it can be done, I am former 100% alcoholic, I am now dry for 10 years plus…addictions can be cured…
I just hope those who keeping going out during their isolation will start getting charged meaning $1000 or a lot more fined. Most Nunavutmiut are not listening. It’s those who are being selfish and careless, those who keep going out.
Those who are exposed to Covid 19 / omicron should get their names exposed so people will know who has it. It’s the only way now, to stop them from going in and out.
Nunavut government should put the curfew or get fined for safety violation
Don’t worry, cases will only go down by the way this govt does testing.
Everyone I know who caught this was from someone vaccinated. It spreads fast and easy, don’t think the shot is the way out. Take care of each other, it is unavoidable. Help people when they get sick and take turns if you have to and get over it together. Take advice from people who recovered, because different people have different experiences (fever, dizzyness). No other choice.
This is sadly true. We missed our opportunity to stop this becoming endemic more than a year ago.
It never was out of Iglulik for those 10 days. The GN and Healthcenter told people not to get tested. soon as it went to 0 people stopped caring so much, some believing it was gone for good.
How many households have covid in each community? that is the really number.