Nunavut COVID-19 case count continues to grow
26 confirmed cases on Monday, up from 8 before Christmas weekend
The Government of Nunavut reported 26 active cases in the territory as of Monday, the first day after the Christmas holiday weekend. (Graphic by Viktor Forgacs/Unsplash)
Nunavut has 26 active cases of COVID-19 on Monday after the territory’s caseload continued to grow over the Christmas weekend.
Three new cases were reported in an update Monday, posted on the Government of Nunavut’s Twitter account. Two of the new cases are in Iqaluit, bringing the capital’s count to 14. One new case in Pangnirtung brought that hamlet to five.
There’s a single case in Sanirajak, but no new ones. Rankin Inlet has six cases, but did not add to its total overnight.
On Sunday, Iqaluit was the only community where the caseload increased from the day before. Four new cases were reported there compared to Saturday.
The case count has continued to grow since last week. On Friday, there were eight cases spread over four communities.
That’s when chief public health officer Dr. Michael Patterson imposed a territory-wide lockdown with stricter public health measures that restricted indoor gatherings to people who live in a household, just before Christmas.
The restrictions also closed personal services, such as hair salons, beauty salons and chiropractors’ practices. Gyms, fitness centres, parks, arenas and places of worship are closed. Bars are closed but restaurants can remain open for take-out orders only. All non-essential services are closed. Schools are closed until Jan. 10.
Travel is restricted to essential purposes for Pangnirtung, Rankin Inlet and Iqaluit. Other non-essential travel is strongly discouraged.
It’s ‘chiropractors’ clinics’, NN.
Read it twice “public health measures that restricted indoor gatherings to people who live in a household” .
not “visitors” or “bubble” or what you personal want to weasel out of obeying. Together we are strong apart.
Are these mild cases, severe, variable or what? Or should we just continue to live in ignorance and fear and comply unquestioningly with endless restrictions?
Let me guess… because of personal privacy we can’t comment on the severity of the cases? Sorry, that is not going to cut it anymore.
If you want to continue with endless restrictions you’re going to need to show your work and explain how the real harm you’re causing is necessary to avoid a significantly larger potential harm. This is needed across Canada, but the situation is starker here in Nunavut because the government exerts an alarming degree of control over people’s lives and livelihoods.
Most people are fully vaccinated or boosted (including yours truly), if you’re vaccinated Omicron IS mild despite feeble attempts to suggest otherwise, Covid is not going away no matter how religiously you wear your mask or how obediently you comply with the orders. If we’re not opening up now, then when? Are we waiting for an Omicron-specific vaccine? Anti-virals? Next summer, during the seasonal dip? 100% vaccination rate? What new development could possibly represent an improved situation? We need a commitment on this.
The public health “leaders” are always going to pick the pandemic hawk path. Weighing the other harms caused by perpetual restrictions is apparently not their brief. So far Nunavut politicians have only ever parroted the public health people. Hopefully there is at least one regular MLA equipped with a brain and a backbone.
Right, great that you’re vaccinated and boosted. What about all the children that are not not eligible for the vaccine? Roll the dice and hope for the best?
What about the elders who, although vaccinated and boosted, may still have a severe case?
How about those with compromised immune systems that, although vaccinated, may still have a severe case?
Not everyone is going to have severe cases and we live in remote fly in communities.
Additionally, if you let the variant run wild, there’s potential for new (possibly more harmful – we don’t know until it happens) to mutate.
Everyone wants to be open. But if you think of the greater good of the whole, probably better to have and follow those restrictions.
Seems simple enough that elders and children should stay home.
There have been at least two hospitalizations among the infected, but that’s beside the point isn’t it? This isn’t about personal rights and freedoms which by the way you have very few in a public health emergency. It’s about being a good citizen and protecting the health of your fellow citizen. Stop whinging and get on with it!
Why is massage therapy, acupuncture, and chiropractor services considered non-essential? This is pain management for those that can’t take prescribed drugs. What are we supposed to do, drown out the pain with alcohol since the B&W store is considered essential? This unfortunately seems to be the message. And why are non-emergency health care services closed? Don’t we have less than adequate access to health services as it is? Why are there no work arounds for these things when there are work arounds for things like getting alcohol. I know addictions are a serious thing but health care is also a serious thing. Anyway, hoping for quick recoveries for those infected and hoping for a quick and successful lockdown for all Nunavummiut. Try to keep active, eat nutritious foods, and cut down on smoking…all things to help your immune systems!
Yet the beer and wine store remains open. Priorities, priorities…
Lets turn to our fearless leader, MR ring a ding ding ? and cheer a tall glass of petroleum.
How many of these cases have ended up in Hospital? From my understanding this new type of Covid (Omicron) strength lies somewhere between a cold and the flu. When this pandemic is over do, we start closing down because of the flu? I know I have gone alone with all the mandates, double vac’ed and booster and was told I was safe. When did this all change, did I miss something? When do the people that do not want the vaccine to become responsible for their own wellbeing. Everyone in Nunavut had more than enough notice and time to get their shots. We need to stop being afraid and start asking some harder questions of our leaders.
Why shut down xmas then give no daily updates? Dr. P a no show, at least he got to spend time with family.
We have a pathetic premier and dr p doesn’t give a hoot anymore. Whatever happened to the every cpl days announcements on live fb and tv. We never hear anything anymore. Quiet premier yuck!
The information flow right now is very poor. Only getting updates from these articles, nothing from CPHO or even the Hamlet or News pages in my Community, Rankin. Just found out there are 10 cases here now, no word on that anywhere that i can find except here.
Ask the new government, the information has dried up since they came in.
Remember, Dr. P answers to PJ and the new crowd – information flow is their responsibility.
This is horrible.. you are basically saying that I got vaccinated for nothing and then am expected to get a booster shot despite double vaccinated and triple vaccinated are dying from the virus. So confusing… FFS!
The data shows that people who are vaccinated are highly less likely to get sick, if at all, when they are infected, and thus have a significantly lower chance of, y’know, dying. So that’s a thing.
While the preliminary data seems to show that the omicron variant may be more infectious but less dangerous, that’s still to be seen: hospitalizations and fatalities tend to lag behind.
Nearly two years ago many Canadians, Americans and Europeans were hoodwinked into yet another cabbage-patch-doll-like mania. You have only yer gullibility to blame. What could we expect after so many were conned into the artificial-climate-fiasco. Far too many have become non-science informed through mass, organized, main stream social media such as CNN, BNN, TSN, BBC, CBC, FOX, and of course, FB and Twitter.
All in all, it’s just more proof that Winston Churchill nailed it: “The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average
voter.”
I guess some people need to see the bodies lined up before they believe what is reported through main stream media, health authority bulletins, etc.
COVID is a moving target. As the threat to life and health change so too does our governments’ responses. We, as members of society, need to do our part to help protect everyone, even the conspiracy theorists.
For the pro virus people who have been commenting;
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No vaccine is 100% effective. One dose of the MMR vaccine is 93% effective against measles, 78% effective against mumps, and 97% effective against rubella. A second dose gets you 97% against measles and 88% against mumps. This is after many years of research and fine tuning of the vaccines.
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The current coronavirus vaccines were developed in less than a year, and were aimed at the original SARS COV2 virus. It was probably 90+% effective against the original virus, but that virus has mutated a number of times, with main variants being Alpha, Delta, and now Omicron.
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It is not surprising that the virus is mutating, and variant specific vaccines will be available in the future. Meanwhile even the current vaccines and booster keep you out of the hospital, and out of the ICU.
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In short it will keep you alive. But only if you get the vaccine.
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The virus, even the Omicron variant, will have greater consequences for people with compromised immune system and other co-morbidities. Are you sure that you have none? Maybe you are overweight, have diabetes, are a smoker, or have other health issues?
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Why take the chance. Is taking 15 minutes to get a vaccine such a hardship for you?
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Just so you know, there is no secret worldwide conspiracy here, it’s a virus, plain and simple. It doesn’t “think”, it doesn’t care if you are liberal or conservative, rich or poor, it’s one purpose is to find a warm body where it can replicate.
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Are you smarter than this virus? If you are then get vaccinated.
The bigger question is why are not allowed to have control over our own bodies and what we put into them. I have been vac’ed but who am I to say to someone to get vaccinated. You gave a lot of numbers with % but were any of these mandated and kept from everyday life. I got vaccinated because that benefitted my family, but will I find out later if I was wrong. We all will make our own choice and we will have to live without comes of it. Why I am upset is that we were told that if we got the vaccine, we would be safe. But then the government put work travel mandate into place. Then we were told that we needed the booster. Now the government is saying we are not safe, Over 75% of the population has been vaccinated
Plain and simply, you can do whatever the heck you want with your body. But that right is null and void when the things you do (or lack thereof) can have an affect on others.
Enjoy your vaccine free lifestyle. But don’t come crying to me when a rusty nail gives you lockjaw.
Or would you gladly take a tetanus vaccine?
Just a comment for those anti-anything folks here and specifically those who have the unsubstantiated idea that Dr. Patterson is doing nothing.
I challenge any one of you to try to keep up with him. I seriously don’t think you can as you can’t even keep up with the facts of what is happening.
One: You can get all the updated (daily) information you need from the GN website.
The doctor shouldn’t have to appear on TV every time someone sneezes.
Two: To suggest the Dr. is not doing his job. Grow up and be a little less disrespective to him.
For personal family reasons (twice in the past week) I have had a need to get hold of medical staff to clarify information regarding travel and vaccines within Nunavut.
I live in Kugluktuk and after many phone calls, I tried QGH Emergency in Iqaluit.
They in turn didn’t have the answer and because it was around midnight their time, the public health office in the hospital was closed.
They did however have the number of the Public Health Officer on duty and I called the number provided.
Remember this was midnight in Iqaluit on a weekday.
The Public Health Officer on duty at midnight was non-other than Dr. Patterson himself. He heard my problem and gave me excellent advice.
So now you have the facts about the role of the Good Doctor. Not only does he take his turn at the on-call Public Health Officer at midnight, but the onerous task of keeping those idiots, who choose to ignore him or to criticize him, alive, in his job as CPHO.
You can publicly apologize to him now, and thank him and his staff for doing their best to protect us from these variants of the virus.
Paul it is well known that Patterson chooses to take on night shifts at QGH. There is an obscene amount of cash paid to physicians, so he burns the candle at both ends playing CPHO and ER doctor. For your call I have little doubt he was double billing while hanging out in the ER.
The bigger question is why are not allowed to have control over our own bodies and what we put into them. I have been vac’ed but who am I to say to someone to get vaccinated. You gave a lot of numbers with % but were any of these mandated and kept from everyday life. I got vaccinated because that benefitted my family, but will I find out later if I was wrong. We all will make our own choice and we will have to live with what comes of it. Why I am upset is that we were told that if we got the vaccine, we would be safe. But then the government put work and travel mandate into place. Then we were told that we needed the booster. Now the government is saying we are not safe. Over 75% of the population has been vaccinated but when will be we able to move on with our lives, at 80, 90% or maybe 100% vac’ed. There are 25% that have not been vac’ed and now the kids 5 to 12 are getting it, this should raise the total %. But should it be the ones that will not get vac’ed be the ones to learn to live in this time of restrictions. From what I understand is that only the non-vac’ed should worry, or were we mislead. There never will be 95% vaccine rate no matter the mandates. Decisions have Conqueses and we have to live with our decisions, good or bad.