Iqaluit records highest single-day COVID-19 increase since outbreak began
14 new cases reported in the capital
Since Iqaluit’s first case of COVID-19 was confirmed nearly a month ago, there have been 183 cases discovered in the city and of those 108 have recovered. (File photo)
After four days of COVID-19 recoveries outpacing new cases in Iqaluit, the city’s case count rose by 14 on Tuesday, the highest single-day increase since the start of the outbreak.
The announcement, made by Nunavut Premier Joe Savikataaq through social media, comes just under a month since Iqaluit confirmed its first case of the virus.
There are now 75 active cases in Iqaluit.
In addition to new cases, Savikataaq reported that nine recoveries had also been reported in Iqaluit, bringing the city’s total to 108.
Kinngait’s two active cases recovered over the weekend, meaning some public health orders will be eased tomorrow.
This includes lifting the community’s travel ban and reopening daycares. Schools will partially reopen with elementary school classes running three days a week and the middle and high school will open two days a week on staggered schedules, with some remote learning.
Most of the staff at Baffinland’s Mary River mine who were found to have COVID-19 were transferred south over the weekend, Patterson said on Tuesday, adding that most of the remaining staff would follow over the coming days.
A skeleton crew will stay behind to keep the essential services up and running until they can get more staffing to resume operations, Patterson said.
Vaccinations in the territory are ongoing and to date, 16,471 residents have received their first dose of the Moderna vaccine.
As of today, 12,931 have received both doses.
Those who would like to book a vaccination appointment can call their local health centre.
Kinngait’s two active cases recovered over the weekend, meaning some public health orders will be eased tomorrow.
Nice..
Can we do the same in Rankin??
arviat know the way! Arviat strong!
I am from here, ARV is not strong, it took 4 months to recover, ppl here don’t listen to directions of the health authorities. 4 months to recover….Baffin, don’t do as ARV did…ppl with addictions are very hard to contain, gamblers as well. boy did ARV ever do covert night visiting just to gamble this past winter. (there were other original sin visits too as well… to many really), that’s why it took 4 to 5 months to recover here.
Nunatsiaq headline from May 8, “Iqaluit’s COVID-19 caseload continues to fall”. Pretty irresponsible headline if you ask me, considering how long this virus can be asymptomatic in people. We saw this in Arviat, there were “zero” cases for what, two full weeks? But surprise, surprise, there were never actually zero cases, there were just no detected cases.
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You report that “the number of cases came down for the second day in a row” in that article, but we (politicians and journalists especially) need to recognize that following a two, three, four day trend of what is confirmed by lab results does not necessarily show what happened in reality.
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14 new cases “today”. Does that mean that 14 people contracted the virus today? No. Does it mean 14 people contracted the virus yesterday? No. The 14 people could’ve contracted the virus on multiple days. They also could’ve transmitted the virus to numerous people days after contracting it, but before finding out they had it, which means the number of people they transmitted it to may not be fully confirmed until over a week later.
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These are reasons that a headline such as “Iqaluit’s COVID-19 caseload continues to fall” after only 2 consecutive days is irrensponsible.
People think about it. T.b is still a problem in the north. Covid is here for a long time so wear your helmet!
Bonfires, house parties, people passing joints around, this group of carelessness will have us under lockdown for some time.
Some still walk into the stores without a mask! Sharing bottles of wine behind gas bar and Northmart. If we can just get a handle of this recklessness I think we could be out of this lockdown by July.
I imagine that, very soon, vaccinated people will be able to get on with their lives, free from restrictions.
As to the others, they can do what they want. They will anyway, no matter the rules.
Unfortunately the sad reality is vaccinated or not, you still need to wear your masks, sanitize hands with hand sanitizer in establishments like the grocery stores, no hugging, no kuniks and wash hands when you get home. No gatherings, no visiting outside of your home until Iqaluit is virus free. That’s the reality so let’s all do our parts. I realize this is against the Inuit culture, but no hugging or no kuniks, but until the community is virus free these are prohibited. For the community of Iqaluit these restrictions can be for a short period of time IF you follow the restrictions, if not, you are all in for a long ride.
We sure have a really screwed up government who are punishing the law abiding citizens. This gutless government has no balls to go after the party folk who have no regard for the wellbeing of their fellow citizens.
No effort to diagnose the alcohol dependent citizen(s) who they keep the beer store open for. All the while allowing the flow of booze in this pandemically ravaged town!
We miss our family here and elsewhere and we will make every dumb MLA pay in October for just sitting by during our time of need for decisive action.
I agree, where is our leadership our MLAs from Iqaluit? They know what is going on here, where is our voice?
George, Pat, Adam? Hello?