The number of active cases of COVID-19 in Nunavut dropped Tuesday to 93, the territory’s Health Department says. (Illustration)
Nunavut’s COVID-19 cases back in double-digit territory
Active cases fall below 100 as lockdown lifted
The number of COVID-19 cases in Nunavut has dropped to 93, the Health Department reported Tuesday — the first time since Nov. 20 the active case count has been in double digits.
Active cases surged past the 100 mark on Nov. 21, a little more than two weeks after the first case was confirmed in Sanikiluaq on Nov. 6. Cases were then reported in Arviat, Rankin Inlet and Whale Cove.
News that the count has dropped below 100 came on the last day of a two-week territory-wide lockdown the Nunavut government imposed Nov. 18 to prevent the spread of the virus that has killed more than 12,000 people across Canada since March. No deaths have been reported in Nunavut.
Chief public health officer Dr. Michael Patterson noted that while restrictions will be easing in some communities and regions Wednesday, it is important to maintain efforts to stop the spread.
“This is a marathon, not a sprint,” Patterson said in a new release issued Tuesday to report the latest COVID-19 numbers.
Lockdown measures will continue in Arviat but be eased in Rankin Inlet and Whale Cove — communities with active cases — and relaxed even more throughout the rest of the territory, where no cases are known.
One new case was identified in Arviat, the community that has been the territory’s hot spot, bringing the number of active cases there to 76.
The Health Department issued daily statements about the number of cases throughout November.
The GN holds news conferences three times a week to provide the public with updates. The next update is scheduled for Wednesday at the legislature.
In March, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic. In Nunavut, Nunavik and across the country, public health officials have encouraged physical distancing, hand-washing and wearing masks in public places as measures people should take to prevent the spread of the disease.
Across Canada, as of Monday, 378,139 cases have been reported since March. There were 66,037 active cases and 299,972 people have recovered.
good news, keep up the great work.