Quarantine rules lifted for fully vaccinated Nunavik residents
Changes start Monday for double-vaccinated Nunavimmiut
A plane waits on the tarmac of the Kuujjuaq airport. As of Monday, residents travelling to Nunavik who have received two doses of a vaccine will no longer have to complete a 14-day quarantine upon arrival. (File photo)
Nunavik health officials have lifted a mandatory quarantine requirement for fully vaccinated Nunavimmiut flying into the region.
Starting Monday, residents travelling to Nunavik who have received two doses of a government-approved vaccine against COVID-19 will no longer have to complete a 14-day quarantine upon arrival, the Nunavik Regional Board of Health and Social Services announced.
Travellers who aren’t vaccinated will see their quarantine time reduced from 14 to 10 days.
For now, the new rules apply only to Nunavik beneficiaries, residents and essential workers in the region. Nunavik remains closed to tourism.
“Given the very much improving situation in the south of Quebec and the vaccine being available in Nunavik, we believe that restrictions on travel such as quarantine can be lifted for people fully protected against COVID-19,” said health board spokeswoman Josée Levesque in a news release Monday.
Quebec currently is reporting the lowest numbers of COVID-19 it has seen since 2020, with just 151 new cases of the virus reported this past weekend.
Regions across southern Quebec have lifted restrictions in recent weeks, meaning people can now eat in restaurants, go to the gym and gather indoors in limited numbers.
As of June 14, 69 per cent of Quebecers have received at least one dose of a vaccine, Quebec health officials reported.
In Nunavik, statistics from late May show just 35 per cent of Nunavimmiut have a first dose, while 20 per cent of residents are fully vaccinated.
Travellers coming into the region are still required to fill out an official authorization to enter Nunavik at least 72 hours before their departure.
And travellers must still be screened seven days after they arrive in the region.
Vaccines are available at most Nunavik health centres by appointment. Starting this week, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine will be distributed to the region’s 14 communities for youth aged 12 to 17.
Nunavut is also changing its isolation hub requirement Monday, which will allow travellers who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to enter the territory without spending two weeks isolating in a designated hotel.
Nunavut’s isolation hubs have been in place since March 2020 as a way to prevent travellers from potentially bringing the virus into the territory.
What about children who can’t get vaccinated in Nunavik? Do they still have to isolate?
You want people to get their shots entice them with some short of a reward, cash, booze, dope or free bingo cards etc.
For those not vaccinated. I respect your choice, but it’s worth while to find out why you are not taking the vaccine. If you are afraid, I’ll tell you to seek some information in someone you trust. Like a nurse , or doctor, or other knowledgeable citizen. I’ll just say , look around and see that no one has had any side effects worth noting in Nunavik from getting vaccinated. Please get more information, and reach out to be vaccinated.
So if those Incentives are put there, maybe those who have already been vaccinated can be entitled to them too. I’m not one to fuss over that , but maybe some will, but this is really ridiculous to be even suggesting a reward such as dope , beer and bingo. Peop,e just go and get vaccinated, you’ll be rewarded enough just by doing that.
“For now, the new rules apply only to Nunavik beneficiaries, residents and essential workers in the region. Nunavik remains closed to tourism.”
Why the difference in reference between Nunavik beneficiaries and residents? Aren’t they all residents? So Nunavik beneficiaries aren’t residents? Are you saying that only other races are residents?
I can’t stand when people are separated out like this. They ALL live in the exact same place. They are ALL residents. This is just stupid wording.
Everyone wonders why there is still a segregation line draw, because even the news people want there to be 2 separate sides.
Nunavik beneficiaries can also live outside of Nunavik, did you think of that? So there is a large overlap in beneficiaries and residents, but it also covers beneficiaries that aren’t residents.
So just because they are Nunavik beneficiaries but live outside Nunavik the rules don’t apply to them? If a Nunavik beneficiary lives outside Nunavik they should be required to follow the exact same rules as every other person traveling into this region. If they aren’t residents then there shouldn’t be “exceptions based on race”.
I was not agreeing with or arguing against the regulations, I was simply stating that commenter Disappointment’s anger at the use of both terms beneficiaries and residents was unfounded.
I glad you picked up on that wording. Your are so correct. Beneficiary and resident. Yes madam or sir, resident covers all of us, including me the beneficiary.
To all you COVIDIOTS that refuse to get the jab. The risk of you getting infected is greater than it has been since this pandemic started. We who got the vaccine will be able to go anywhere even if we unknowingly have the Virus.
Protect yourselves now, Follow all Restrictions. But i see everyone mingling and sharing joints, cigarettes….etc So it will spred like wildfire for you non vaccinated people
Not even if you pay me $1,000,000 I will never take it. I think you people who have taken it will be turning into Zombies pretty soon.?
People need to get their vaccines and follow the safety rules. Stay safe .
People need to get their vaccines and follow the safety rules because this is a very dangerous virus so please stay safe and be careful out there.
Everyone is forgetting that we had TB outbreak and it’s put aside as it’s nothing. Covid Covid Covid on the wall, who is correct of them all….
It has arrived . The vaccine has arrived. There are now two separate individuals. Those who are vaccinated and those who are not. Those who are vaccinated are free to this and that, unlike those who are not vaccinated. Most people will become vaccinated over a short period of time. We will see more stigma towards those not vaccinated in time to come. And I’m thinking that there will be more incentive to get the vaccine as time goes. It’s still a big question to those not vaccinated, and it’s why not?
Vaccine
So what’s going to happen for us who really do not want to get vaccinated in our future!?
You’re going to get sick.
You will likely transmit COVID19 and get sick.
Just like people caught TB before vaccinations.
I am 60%-93% protected now because I got both vaccines.
I will be happy when COVID-19 is over and gone very soon.