COVID-19 GN Update - December 7, 2020
COVID-19 GN Update - December 7, 2020
Premier’s update:
Good morning. Today, Nunavut has three new cases of COVID-19 in Arviat. Ten new cases were identified in Arviat over the weekend.
Nunavut now has a total of 51 active cases of COVID-19. The total number of persons followed to date is 5190. There are 688 persons currently being followed. 168 Nunavummiut have now recovered from the virus.
I won’t speak for long today, but I do want to re-iterate just how important isolation is. If you have been asked to isolate by the public health team, it is necessary you do this to protect your community.
I know how hard it must be, and that you probably feel like it’s dragging on and on, but there is no alternative if you want to stop COVID in Nunavut. Please do it for your family, friends and our territory. Boredom and inconvenience are not excuses. We all must do our part.
If you have been asked to isolate, your actions now impact everyone’s health. Stay home, be patient and help keep everyone safe.
Chief Public Health Officer Update:
Good morning,
This week, through an aid agreement between the Federal Government and the Red Cross, we will be starting rapid testing in the Winnipeg isolation hubs to add an extra layer of protection to the isolation process.
In Winnipeg, the Red Cross will be using the Panbio rapid testing device that can deliver results in as little as 15 minutes. Guests will be tested upon entry into the hub, on day five, and just before departure, on day 12.
Panbio is an antigen test, which looks for virus proteins to identify the virus. A positive test on the Panbio will result in a second swab being sent to a laboratory for confirmatory testing. Anyone who tests positive on the Panbio device will be isolated in their rooms. If the laboratory test confirms the positive result, the guest will remain in isolation for at least 10 days from when the test was collected. Testing will not shorten isolation.
Currently, the testing will be voluntary. Anyone who does not wish to take the test will follow the regular 14-day isolation period. I strongly encourage people to participate as it will help reduce the risk of bringing COVID-19 to the territory and provide additional protection for our families and community.
It is extremely important to follow the rules at the isolation hubs. If isolation is done properly, meaning the rules are followed, the 14-day isolation is an effective tool to reduce the risk of transmission. Testing will increase that effectiveness, but as mentioned before, nothing is perfect.
Wearing a mask, physical distancing, washing your hands and staying in your room as much as possible are emphasized at the hubs for this reason.
Testing in the isolation hub coincides with the rapid spread of COVID-19 in the rest of Canada. As active case counts in the rest of the country continue to rise, it is important that we add additional measures to reduce the risk to Nunavummiut.
Thank you.
As part of the Government of Nunavut’s (GN) effort to protect Nunavummiut against the risk of COVID-19, GN Departments are implementing the following:
Department of Health Services
For all the latest information and resources about COVID-19 in Nunavut, go to: https://www.gov.nu.ca/health/information/covid-19-novel-coronavirus
For the latest information on current public health restrictions, go to: https://www.gov.nu.ca/health/information/nunavuts-path
COVID-19 case status: Dec. 7
| Total confirmed cases | Total active cases | Total recovered cases | Total persons followed | Current persons followed |
| 219 | 51 | 168 | 5190 | 688 |
COVID-19 community case statistics: Dec. 7
| Community | Confirmed COVID-19 cases yesterday | Confirmed COVID-19 cases today | Change in case count +/- from previous day | Recovered Cases | Total active cases |
| Arviat | 174 | 177 | 3 | 128 | 49 |
| Whale Cove | 21 | 21 | 0 | 19 | 2 |
| Rankin Inlet | 19 | 19 | 0 | 19 | 0 |
| Sanikiluaq | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| TOTAL | 216 | 219 | 3 | 168 | 51 |
Testing stats to date per community: Dec. 7
| Community | Tests Positive | Tests Negative |
| Arviat | 177 | 729 |
| Whale Cove | 21 | 137 |
| Rankin Inlet | 19 | 237 |
| Sanikiluaq | 2 | 189 |
| TOTAL | 219 | 1292 |
Isolation population:
| Total (All Health Isolation Locations) | |
| Traveler Type | Guests in Isolation as of Dec. 6 |
| Medical | 184 |
| Public | 213 |
| Total | 397 |
Traveller repatriation summary:
| Departure Date | # of Travellers from Health Isolation Sites |
| 05-Dec | 1 |
| 06-Dec | 9 |
| 07-Dec | 70 |
| 08-Dec | 18 |
| 09-Dec | 67 |
| Total | 165 |
Critical Worker Requests:
As of Dec. 4, there were 9798 requests, 4584 of which were critical worker requests.
| Request Status | # | % |
| Approved (includes critical and non-critical) | 6475 | 66.1% |
| Denied | 281 | 2.9% |
| Pending | 324 | 3.3% |
| Common Travel Area | 2718 | 27.7% |
| Total | 9798 | 100% |
Adjusted services:
Kivalliq Specialist Clinics
| Doctors | Community | Closure | Update |
|
Dr. Goulet Internal Medicine |
Rankin/What Cove | Postponed until January 24th | |
|
Dr. James Obstetrics & Gynecology |
Coral Harbour | Dec. 7-10 | Postponed until January (dates pending) |
| Dr. Hildes-Ripstein | Dec. 7-10 | Will provide follow up by phone. Dr. Leroux will assist with physical exams when required | |
| Dr. Newman | Coral Harbour | Dec. 14-17 | Proceeding as planned |
| Dr. Hill | Baker Lake | Dec. 6-10 |
Will be provided virtually |
| Dr. Thorington | Naujaat | Dec. 7-16 | Postponed, but will follow up with nurses to review cases |
Department of Community and Government services
Ongoing services:
Requests to enter the territory for construction related projects or to travel within the territory for construction related projects can be emailed to @email
Construction workers who completed isolation to date: 2,242.
Nunavummiut’s health is our shared responsibility! Remember: wash your hands and surfaces, practice social distancing, listen to the advice of health officials, and stay home if you’re sick.