No-visitor policy put in place for patients in Iqaluit health-care centres
GN cites COVID-19 case surge for temporary policy; exceptions made for certain patients
A no-visitor policy has been put in place for patients in health-care centres in Iqaluit, the Government of Nunavut’s health department announced Thursday. (File photo)
A temporary no-visitor policy for patients in Iqaluit health-care centres is in place due to a surge of COVID-19 cases.
Nunavut’s Department of Health made the announcement Thursday.
Some patients will be allowed one person to visit, according to the news release. They are:
- Patients who are minors;
- Obstetrical patients going through labour;
- Palliative care patients; and
- Patients who need support or interpretation, such as elders.
All other patients must attend care areas by themselves. Masks are also mandatory in all clinical areas for staff, patients and visitors, according to the release.
Earlier this week, the GN announced that over the holidays there was a surge of COVID-19 cases in the Baffin region, and especially in Iqaluit.
In December, Health Minister John Main and Nunavut’s chief public health officer Dr. Sean Wachtel warned of an increase in viruses in the territory.
The GN has stopped publicly reporting COVID-19 case counts in the territory. The government has been able to detect a surge through PCR test results, testing at community health centres and rapid antigen test results reported through the COVID-19 hotline, Health Department spokesperson Nadine Purdy told Nunatsiaq News.
For anyone who has tested positive or has concerns about COVID-19, there is a hotline is available Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at 1-888-975-8601.
The GN’s advice for preventing the spread of COVID-19 includes getting vaccinated and boosted when eligible, practising social distancing, wearing a mask in health-care facilities and self-isolating when feeling sick.
Iqaluit had Christmas games from December 23 to Dec 31. Hundreds of people attended with 99.9% of people not wearing masks. Guaranteed many people contracted COVID at these games.
The school Christmas concerts were super spreader events, too.
The GN and China, “If we pretend COVID is not here, perhaps it will go away.”
Then again, if the GN is known for anything, it is for secrecy above all else.
The GN has never been particularly secretive about the presence of Covid in the Territory however in recent times they seemed rather reluctant to do anything about it. This is a wise move.
Don’t forget ineptitude!
I’m borderline embarrassed every time I drive past the courthouse.
I’m not a expert,so I had to Google “What is epidemiologist?” Often called “Disease Detectives” ?️♂️, epidemiologist search for the cause of the disease,identify people who are at risk, determine how to control or stop the spread or prevent it from happening again.
Physician, veterinarian, scientists and other health professionals often train to be ” Disease Detectives” Don’t you yall find it disturbing the experts who spoke out against the vaccine had their social media accounts suspended ?
I find it more disturbing that people like yourself who are weighing in on it and are likely spreading misinformation and conspiracy theories are people who also have to google “what is epidemiologist” three years into this.
The GN needs to reinstate the special leave 08 ( not coming off your credits)for isolating at home when sick with Covid. otherwise many people sick with Covid will continue to go to work when they do not have enough sick credits and cannot afford to go with leave without Pay. The teachers in NWT recently won a grievance over their Government about this issue and their Government must reinstate that option again. we need to do the same too. The recent BQQ 1.5 Covid mutation is even more transmisable than B5 and is spreading like wildfire in Canada especially coming out of the holidays. Hospitals are overflowing with sick patients down south and our health system here is much worse shape.
We should be given more sick days to use.
COVID didn’t go away … we lost. Our ecosystem now includes a new disease for us to catch. The status quo has changed.
correction on my previous post the new Covid variant is called XBB 1.5
The public housing system is as bad as people say it is.
what in the eck does a bulding or house have to do with a highly transmitable disease ? it is what it is,lucky for those in a house, imagine the homeless in a shelter with bunch of dead beat dummies caugthing their lungs out among them. then you thanks the Lord to be in a house.
These fearmongering hoaxes – covidmania, human-made climate, identiry-tragedy – must be stopped
Fearmongering?? Oh, how I will laugh (at that misinformed comment) when you or a family member gets sick and god forbid someone dies because YOU transmitted one of these diseases.
Keep your misinformed anonymous comments to yourself.
NN do you not have a policy of banning misleading information like that of “S” ??
“Oh, how I will laugh … when you or a family member gets sick and … dies”
Is that an example of your righteousness, Mr Murphy?
Also, please be kind enough to provide your credentials, including links to your double-blind controlled studies that demonstrate covidmania is nothing more than sociopolitical meddling.
As for most others, most likely your truth about ‘informed’ is just blind faith to accept only what you have been told to know
You say this about studies as if you have some that aren’t off some unhinged anti-vax/freedom convoy website. Generally we start from the assumption that the world is not out to get us and would need evidence to the contrary to become a brain addled conspiracy theorist. I am sorry for what the internet has done to you. I am serious, I genuinely feel bad that Tik Tok reels have ruined your ability to think logically.
Not righteousness at all.
Just recognizing and calling you out for the misinformed stupidity of your comment
People like you are the ones transmitting the covid variants and people are dying from it.
Educate yourself