Nunavut reports more COVID-19 recoveries than active cases

(Updated at 5 p.m.)

As Nunavut lifts public health restrictions in most of its communities on Wednesday, following a two-week lockdown, chief public health officer Dr. Michael Patterson says that masks are still mandatory in public spaces in Whale Cove, Rankin Inlet and Arviat.

“Moving forward, in all communities with active COVID-19, masks will be mandatory,” he said during a news conference Wednesday.

Masks are also recommended in communities where active cases of COVID-19 haven’t been identified.

Arviat remains under lockdown for two more weeks as there is evidence of community transmission there.

“It is a long haul, but if we stay the course, it will go away,” was Patterson’s message to Arviat residents.

In Arviat, 11 new cases were identified Wednesday, and its total number of active cases stands at 65.

There are seven active cases in Whale Cove and eight in Rankin Inlet, but Patterson said he is sure there is no community transmission in either hamlet — meaning that any new cases are caused by transmission within households.

There have been 113 recoveries since the first case was confirmed less than a month ago on Nov. 6 in Sanikiluaq. That means for the first time there are more recovered cases than active cases.

Although Nunavut’s first cases were in Sanikiluaq, those two individuals recovered after self-isolating at home.

The number of reservations at southern hotels that are designated as isolation hubs for travellers returning to Nunavut has increased for the end of December and beginning of January, Patterson said.

At this point he’s not concerned that the hotels will be overbooked, but he said people travelling south “is a concern.”

That’s especially true since he doesn’t know how cases will rise in southern Canada over the winter holidays.

Lorne Kusugak, Nunavut’s health minister, said the government has talked about charging Nunavummiut to stay at the hotels if their travel is non-esssential, but it’s not something it plans to do.

Premier Joe Savikataaq said that’s partly because it would create a two-tiered system where some people would be able to travel, and some wouldn’t. But he also said Nunavut recently was promised $30 million from the federal government to go towards paying for the hubs.

“We still recommend you don’t travel south, but if you must, we will pay for your isolation,” he said.

Nunavummiut travelling through Yellowknife to get into Nunavut have to isolate for two weeks in a designated isolation hotel, unless they’re staying in Yellowknife for less than 12 hours. In that case, the traveller must stay in an isolation hotel during that time, Savikataaq said.

Patterson said he doesn’t know when rapid testing machines will be set up at the isolation hotels in Winnipeg, but he said that once that testing is in place, visitors at the hubs will be tested once they arrive, again in a few days, and before they leave.

Positive tests and negatives from high-risk individuals will be double-checked at labs in Winnipeg, he said.

“We’re concentrating our efforts on Winnipeg because it currently has the highest risk of introducing COVID-19 to Nunavut,” Patterson said.