Nunavik reports 10th COVID-19 death
Regional health board won’t disclose where or when the death occurred, citing privacy
A 10th person has died of COVID-19 in Nunavik, according to data from the Quebec government.
The death, which was not publicly announced by the Nunavik Regional Board of Health and Social Services, occurred approximately four months after Nunavik’s first COVID-19 death in November.
The health board would not say when the death occurred, or which community the person who died is from, citing the family’s privacy.
“We do not provide details on such events, in order to protect the confidentiality, and, of course, [to] respect the families,” said Kathleen Poulin, a health board spokesperson, in an email.
Nunavik’s most recent COVID-19 update, published Wednesday, shows 182 active cases in the region. Inukjuak had the highest case count with 93. The communities with the next-highest case counts were Kangiqsujuaq with 27 active cases and Kuujjuaq with 26.
Five Nunavik communities – Aupaluk, Ivujivik, Kangirsuk, Salluit and Tasiujaq – reported zero active cases.
Nunavik COVID-19 case counts, as of Feb. 23:
- Akulivik: 11
- Aupaluk: 0
- Inukjuak: 93
- Ivujivik: 0
- Kangiqsualujjuaq: 5
- Kangiqsujuaq: 27
- Kangirsuk: 0
- Kuujjuaq: 26
- Kuujjuarapik: 1
- Puvirnituq: 4
- Quaqtaq: 7
- Salluit: 0
- Tasiujaq: 0
- Umiujaq: 8
Are the feelings of people that bad in Nunavik that it takes extra ordinary efforts to keep normally everyday information from getting out to be considered used against each other? No where else in this country is there such secrecy on information like in Nunavik. Confidentiality aside, there’s something dearly the matter with withholding such information in the name of covid, which we are all in this together. What’s the family going to do with their secret death of a love one, and what are they in bedding fearfully to happen? Are they by culture, history, or just fear of their fellow neighbors putting them down, again and again? I don’t want to know the name of someone that passes away from covid! Unless I’m close friend , then I would not need the health board to tell me what I already know. But why even announce, then go on a speech out confidential needs of the family? People should really look at themselves, and asked about the cruelty that exists among them.
Condolences to the families and friends. It would help to hear if they were people with pre-existing conditions and whether they were vaccinated. Still a great loss to the communities but it would help to explain the risk of severe outcomes.
Yes a few vital details are only helpful, not hurtful. It’s as though, the health board is saying watch your step, you might step on a nail if you don’t. And then go on to say , I know someone who stepped on the nail, not telling where , how , when. Yes, what good advice. As far as knowing who, that’s the sad outcome that family can announce or not, but the health authorities can tell us more about the nail, without naming.
What’s the point in being told that someone died from Covid? Condolences to the family first of all. Yes, what’s the point in the announcement of that death? What’s the health board trying to accomplish? Or is it a professional service to let the public know that from the health department? And now what, what do we do with that knowledge that someone in our region has died with Covid ? Like the unknown soldier. Isn’t the health board suppose to issue not just death notices, but criteria to educate the population? What’s that announcement got to do with education? That’s not educational, it’s just empty news. They should consider their words to be informative and helpful to improving life, not letting us know about the unknown soldiers. They could off course provide announcement of all death in Nunavik in lieu of having no funeral home to do that like in the south.