Nunavut’s active COVID-19 cases dip to lowest level in a month
Premier urges Iqaluit residents to stay ‘committed’ to public health measures
No new COVID-19 cases were reported in Nunavut on Sunday while 11 recoveries brought the number of active cases to their lowest level in a month. (Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay)
Active COVID-19 cases in Nunavut hit their lowest number in the past month Sunday.
No new cases were reported while 11 recoveries were recorded in Iqaluit, Premier Joe Savikataaq reported in the government’s daily update on Twitter.
“Let’s keep it up, Iqaluit! Stay safe and committed this long weekend,” Savikataaq wrote in a tweet. He repeated the government’s call from Friday, urging people to continue following public health measures aimed at stopping the spread of the respiratory illness over the Victoria Day holiday weekend.
It was the second time in a week the Government of Nunavut reported no new cases. Last Monday, the GN also reported zero new cases.
Sunday’s update brings the number of active cases across the territory to 28 — all but one of them in Iqaluit. A single case continues remain active in Kinngait.
The last time the number of cases was this low was on April 19, when it also stood at 28. A month ago, on April 23, there were 37 cases and the caseload was continuing to grow on a daily basis.
Since the recent outbreak began in mid-April, the highest number of active cases reported was 86 on May 6.
With continuing to give no break of any sort to those fully vaccinated, what does it really matter? When cases were 0 for a year the gym remained basically closed. Hubs were required. No isolate at home option. I am at a point where it seems to make no difference in my daily life whether we have a few dozen cases or none. When will they announce exemptions for the hubs for those vaccinated?
Vaccination protects you but it does not mean you are not carrying and potentially spreading Covid 19 or its variants.
The isolation hubs helped us for over a year and will continue to do so for what ever time is required.
Please don’t even consider closing them yet pleaseD r Patterson.
That’s not what the latest research shows. It shows that once fully vaccinated (2nd dose + 2 weeks) the odds of you getting or passing on the virus are remote. The vaccines are also effective against the variants. Those who are fully vaccinated should not be required to isolate in these circumstances.
Bert that isn’t what the science says. I don’t care if people have decided not to vaccinate. I am not around children and so those who haven’t had a chance have no risk (with lock down they should be at home anyway). Why do I need to isolate two weeks in a hotel when science says it doesn’t matter? Answer: hypervigilance, free federal cash, and politics. Not science.
Patience grasshopper.
.
The hubs are there to prevent southern infections from reaching Nunavut and the southern infection rate is still very high.
.
Southern infections are currently 10x what they were last July so we do have a long ways to go. The good news is that with the pace of vaccinations we should get to a point where our high numbers start to enter a rapid decline.
.
My guess is that by the end of June the rate of new infections will be rapidly decreasing and that by the end of July we may be back to levels comparable to July 2020. From there instead of going up in late August and September I think that we will see numbers decrease.
.
It’s not over yet, but we are getting closer every day. I expect schools throughout the country to reopen in September for in person classes and for life to get back close to normal in the fall. Just my own opinion of course.
.
For now get your vaccination, keep a mask on, and socially distance.
I don’t think that What does it matter was advocating that the hubs be completely closed, only that there be exceptions for those who are fully vaccinated (2nd dose + 2 weeks). I agree with What does it matter on this point. Nunavut’s response should be based on science and the science is telling us that once fully vaccinated the odds of getting COVID-19 or even passing it on are greatly reduced. The latest science also indicates that the vaccines are fully effective against the variants. Nunavut has a very high rate of vaccination (as of 17 May, 1st dose: 67% and 2nd dose: 53%) and form what I understand the vast majority of the territory’s most vulnerable have been vaccinated. Even in the outbreaks we’ve had we haven’t seen large numbers of people in hospital or our limited resources overrun. Ontario is starting to open up and, Manitoba excepted, we’re seeing significant decreases across the entire country.
For those who are vaccinated, the science says that they do not pose a danger to others. Fully vaccinated individuals should be allowed to bypass isolation or perhaps have a shortened isolation period (1-3 days) just to make sure they don’t have the virus. In the UK, they have mouth swab tests that they do in order to be allowed to travel to other countries. In the USA, fully vaccinated individuals do not need to wear masks except in certain situations (airplanes, long term care facilities, hospitals and possibly a few other places). With the short summers we get up here, it’s also important for people’s mental health to be able to travel and unwind. Giving exceptions would also incentivize getting vaccinated.
Let’s stick to the science and with the science saying that fully vaccinated individuals are safe, let’s be smart about it and give the fully vaccinated certain privileges that science says are appropriate.
Better said than I could have. Old Trapper is situated in Ontario, where the supposed ‘lockdowns’ are really nothing like Nunavut. Can go for walks, drives, take out, curbside at Canadian tire. Not the same in Nunavut, where the only escape from isolation is on a plane outbound. He advocates hypervigilance while not having any idea on the impacts.