Nunavut-wide restrictions placed on restaurants and bars as COVID-19 case count climbs
‘They needed to be adjusted to reduce the chance of events like this happening again,’ says Dr. Patterson
Nunavut’s chief public health officer Dr. Michael Patterson announced Friday that all restaurants and bars in the territory will be limited to operating at 50 per cent capacity beginning on Monday, April 26. (Photo by Dustin Patar)
Beginning on Monday, all restaurants, bars and clubs in Nunavut will be limited to operating at 50 per cent capacity.
Restaurants in Iqaluit and Kinngait will continue to operate as takeout only.
Dr. Michael Patterson, the territory’s chief public health officer, made that announcement during a news conference on Friday morning after two bars in the capital city were identified as places of possible exposure.
“Almost all of the cases have been identified through those sites and the rest have been through being identified as contacts of people who were there,” said Patterson.
While this means that those who hadn’t been to either bar have a low chance of having been exposed to COVID-19 in Iqaluit, Patterson also said it prompted the Department of Health to broadly rethink public health measures.
“They needed to be adjusted to reduce the chance of events like this happening again,” said Patterson.
The announcement comes as nine new cases were reported in the territory, bringing the active-case total to 37.
Two of those new cases are in Kinngait and are directly linked with the original infections reported earlier this week.
According to Patterson, because those individuals have not recently travelled to Iqaluit, the cases in Kinngait now constitute an outbreak.
Meanwhile, in Iqaluit, seven new cases have been confirmed alongside eight more recoveries.
Recoveries are recorded when it has been 10 days from the onset of symptoms and the individual has been symptom-free for at least 24 hours. For asymptomatic people, the 10-day period begins when the test swab was collected.
Patterson said some recoveries appeared soon after last week’s initial COVID-19 announcement because there were a few people who were symptomatic before the first case was diagnosed.
The origin of Iqaluit’s COVID-19 outbreak is still unknown.
Patterson added that among the new cases identified in Iqaluit today is one individual who contact tracing teams do not have a link for yet, though that work is ongoing.
Iqaluit Public Health has set up a surveillance testing site at the cadet hall to take more swabs, get faster results and expand contact tracing into lower-risk contacts, Patterson said.
Patterson asks that only those with appointments go to the surveillance testing site. Individuals under isolation will continue to have a nurse visit them for swabbing.
Nunavummiut who think they may have been exposed to COVID-19 are asked to call the COVID hotline at 1-888-975-8601 between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. eastern time.
To date, 491 tests have been administered in Iqaluit and 35 have been carried out in Kinngait.
Although the results of the variant tests were expected by the end of this week, Patterson said those have yet to come in.
Patterson also used the news conference as a chance to weigh in on the recent cancellation of the Nunavut Quest.
“I realized that this is a significant event and one many members of the community were looking forward to,” he said.
“However, given the current risk, the organizers have made a decision that reduces the risk of introducing COVID-19 to multiple communities.”
Meanwhile In Iqaluit, local stores, such as Northmart, that briefly experienced outbreak-induced shortages of some supplies, are now once again stocked.
Premier Joe Savikataaq said that Canadian North cargo services are now fully caught up, the result of service changes made by the airline on Thursday.
As of Friday, 14,915 Nunavummiut have received the first dose of their Moderna vaccine and 11,940 are now fully vaccinated.
According to data presented by Canada’s chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam during a virtual news conference on Friday morning, 53.7 per cent of Nunavut adults now have at least one dose of the vaccine.
Although this places Nunavut third in the country, behind Yukon and the Northwest Territories, Health Minister Lorne Kusugak continues to urge Nunavummiut to receive their doses.
“The vaccines are here in Nunavut and they are readily available,” he said.
“It’s up to you now to do your part.”
Nunavummiut who would like to book a vaccination appointment can call their local health centre.
For updated information and resources on COVID-19 visit the Government of Nunavut’s website.
COVID-19 updates will continue next week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 11 a.m. eastern time.
Nunavut wide restrictions. It matters, now that the capital of Nunavut has cases.
How dare Nunavut communities get to enjoy things Iqaluit can’t.
So, communities and the people that live in the communities that had COVID and now have no cases and communities that haven’t had any cases get to suffer rather than be rewarded? Typical.
I’m not saying Nunavut communities gets to enjoy anything that the Capital of Nunavut can’t.
That’s how you see it. If you want the rewards, keep the city safe and stay home. Prevent yourself and other of getting sick. This is not a competition of how to keep the communities COVID free.
others have had it but don’t worry. they can beat it.
Iqaluit has it. shits getting real now, everyone do as we say.
yes do as your told; wash your hands, 6 ft apart, wear mask, why am I telling you this, all winter long iqaluit was telling other communities what to do to avoid of getting sick. where are you guys who had all the knowledge on what and what not to do. where are u o trapper? where’s everybody?
sorry if you didn’t get, I was being facetious.
everyone knows how serious it is. what worries me is how close the Kitikmeot Region is to the recent breakout in Yellowknife on the verge. there is a positive case in Yellowknife School with 40 contacts identified.
we have to take this serious everyone.
You called Joe?
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Fortunately Dr. Patterson acts swiftly with meaningful measures. Unfortunately he has not shut down everything but essential services, and that really is the best way to beat Covid-19.
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Too many doctors and government officials take half measures. Here’s what works. Everyone stays home 24/7 for 7 to 10 days. One family member goes shopping every 2 to 3 days.
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Yes you will go nuts cooped up at home, especially with all of your family members. I know, if I had to spend 24 hours with my brother or sister it would be difficult (okay impossible).
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But that type of strict lockdown works. Ask China, New Zealand, Australia. It is the quickest way to get back to normal.
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And for anyone who doesn’t understand this, Ontario had 990 cases on 06MAR21 coming out of our last “mockdown”. Today we have 4,505, just over a month later.
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Shut everything down for 7 – 10 days, or join Ontario at Covid Central. Your choice.
ha..there’s no lockdown here in Iqaluit, just take drive around in the afternoon and just look at the traffic going nowhere and people walking around ..everything is basically open expect bars and restaurants. Crying out loud even that paint store on ring road is open..come man..why is ventures retail upstairs open same with Northerns retail. Like i said no lock down here..
Good
During the lock down last spring in IQ non stop partying and now that there are confirmed cases it’s the same thing. They don’t care at all !!
Yesterday I’ve seen a person who clearly was sick out and about and I’m very sure this person tested positive for Covid-19. Some people just cannot stay put inside ? they will go out to get cigarettes, alcohol, and put others at risk especially those that are listening to the protocols. It’s not only in Iqaluit it’s the same in the south. Why do you think the numbers of positive cases are going sky high in Quebec and Ontario?