Iqaluit’s Chartroom Lounge site of potential COVID-19 exposure, GN says
New Health Department advisory alerts bar patrons and recent travellers
Anyone who visited the Chartroom Lounge in Iqaluit from April 10 to April 14 may have been exposed to COVID-19, Nunavut’s Health Department says. (File photo)
The Nunavut Health Department has issued another notice of potential COVID-19 exposure in Iqaluit, again at one of the city’s bars.
Anybody who visited the Chartroom Lounge in Iqaluit from April 10 to April 14, may have been exposed to COVID-19, said the government advisory, circulated Wednesday evening on social media.
The advisory recommends anyone who visited the bar during those dates to self-monitor for symptoms of infection for 14 days following their last visit.
Symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, cough and difficulty breathing.
Anyone who develops these symptoms should self isolate and schedule a COVID-19 test, the advisory says. Self-isolation involves staying at home and avoiding other people.
As well, anyone who has travelled outside of Iqaluit since April 7 is now being asked to isolate for 14 days starting “immediately.”
The Chartroom, located next to Iqaluit’s beer and wine store, is the second bar in the city where potential exposures to COVID-19 may have taken place.
Iqaluit’s Storehouse Bar and Grill was identified as a site of potential COVID-19 exposure last week by the Health Department.
The Government of Nunavut is scheduled to hold a news conference Friday at 11 a.m. to provide an update on COVID-19 in the territory where, as of Wednesday, there were now 33 active cases – 31 in Iqaluit and two in Kinngait.
The news conference is streamed online and broadcast on the radio in Iqaluit at 92.5 FM.
April 10-14th exposure being notified on April 22nd…. Wow that is a long time in between. There are positive cases identified at Cargo, the Amazon hub and the airport restaurant, none of which have any exposure dates yet or public notices.
The people with positive tests have openly made social media posts warning friends, co workers and other acquaintances to hopefully avoid them spreading COVID.
The GN is clearly overwhelmed at this point, especially in notifying on potential places of public contact. If anyone was exposed on April 10th they would be almost two weeks now and almost considered recovered at this point in time. One has to wonder if the reason our numbers are not at hundreds is because people who felt sick a week ago just shrugged it off as allergies, seasonal cold and the like and truly had COVID but are now recovered.
I find it hard to believe that Iqaluit has so few cases considering how few people actually wear masks in public, before the first positive case was ever identified and when this exposure notice would have occurred. The pictures of the beer and wine store lineup attest to the fact that people don’t take social distancing or mask wearing seriously.
COVID has been in Iqaluit for longer then the GN or anyone knows. Hopefully on Friday they identify if it was a variant and have more information then the usual script.
You would think that they would vaccinate essential worker first ,such as cargo handlers ,municipal services employees and food service employees
Right now anyone 18+ can get vaccinated so let’s not make a huge vaccination battle again. If they are not getting vaccinated, it is because they chose not to.
I saw a boy rolling around on the floor of the hub the other day – no mask and face right on the floor. I am sure those parents would have like to have known it was a virus spot.
hope they open up this weekend so thirsty and need to wet my whistle
bars are closing down south, why you’re thinking of special waiver should be had for Nunavut? shhh give me a break, if I had power, I would shut down all bars in iqlauit until all of Baffin is clear of covid-19…..
my throat is parched hermann. Wish the bar was open and id buy you a drink and sing a few songs. gotta open the bars for mental health. metal health is important so important
Didn’t you go lineup with the other hundred people on Saturday. There were at least three people who were enjoying their beverages by Tim hortons @ northmart Saturday afternoon from the beer and wine store. Coors lite and Molson cans there everywhere still.
will bring a table and a recycling bag. good to recycle those cans. thanks for the great idea to make own bar outside. lots of people in town still thirsty. need more outdoor bars.