Frequently Asked Questions – Travel

Isolation sites are located in Ottawa, Winnipeg, Edmonton and Yellowknife.

Submit a travel request form and send it to the Chief Public Health Officer (CPHO) team at CPHOtravelrequests@gov.nu.ca. Travel request forms can be downloaded at https://gov.nu.ca/health/information/covid-19-novel-coronavirus

No. Isolation is voluntary, however Nunavummiut who do not undergo isolation will not be allowed to return to Nunavut until the travel ban has been lifted.

Please give the CPHO team 72 hours to respond to your request. If it has been longer than 72 hours, please send a follow up email.

Please submit your form and a travel specialist will contact you. If you are unable to sign the form, you can type your name.

The GN will cover isolation sites costs such as meals provided by the hotel, hotel room, internet access and transfer to the airport. Costs for essentials such as diapers, baby formula and menstrual products are also covered.

Yes. If you have an infant a crib should be in your room when you arrive. If not, one can be requested from the hotel.

Yes. If you do not complete isolation you will have to restart the two-week period.

The isolation hubs ensure that meals meet dietary needs and are of a high quality. We recognize the meal options at the hotel might not be to everyone’s liking and have allowed for outside food delivery. However, food from an outside provider will not be paid for by the government and is at the client’s expense.

The isolation sites are not medical facilities. Clients are expected to be in a state of health they can manage at home. Clients will receive regular medical check-ins to monitor for COVID-19.

Yes:

• Mental health workers are providing remote services to isolation clients;
• Frequency of service will depend on need;
• A mental health worker will contact you as soon as possible after you check in.

Yes, but clients will be escorted and supervised by security to ensure isolation is maintained.

Security at the hotel has been contracted by the Department of Community and Government Services as a means to monitor residents in the isolation centres to ensure that guests are supported in their self-isolation

Their role is:

• To help with monitoring to reduce the possibility of inadvertent exposure to COVID-19;
• Help ensure Nunavummiut return home in a safe and timely fashion;
• Client safety.

No. To maintain isolation visitors are not permitted

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Designated sites were necessary because:

• Considering the increasing prevalence of community transmission in Southern Canada, the Department of Health decided isolation in the south is the only way to isolate people that avoids mixing of those who have been isolated with those who haven't;
• Delays in testing results are also a concern and 14-day isolation in the south greatly reduces the risk of introducing COVID-19 to Nunavut;
• These measures are designed to reduce the chance of introducing COVID-19 to multiple communities at the same time;
• These measures also ensure that those who cannot isolate themselves at home are able to do so. It is the Department of Health’s primary goal that if and when the virus comes to Nunavut it can be contained;
• The decision was made due to the increase in community transmission in southern Canada. These measures were also frequently requested by Nunavummiut who were concerned about the government continuing to allow travel into the territory; close

If your flight has been changed or cancelled do the following:

• Call your airline provider and confirm when the next available flight is and book the ticket;
• If the travel date is a day or two later than your checkout date, the GN will cover the extended stay;
• Changes in travel dates cannot always be avoided, and although it’s an inconvenience to clients, they are required to remain in isolation until their new travel date;

Your family’s travel request will be transferred to another team and they will contact you regarding the isolation process.

The GN will cover your stay until the day you leave the isolation site. Once you leave, you will be responsible for the remainder of your travel and accommodations unless on medical travel.

The Government of Nunavut has a protocol in place to minimize, to the greatest extent possible, the risk of critical workers spreading COVID-19 in the territory:

• Before entering the territory, all critical workers need to obtain clearance from the office of the Chief Public Health Officer, which they can only get once they have demonstrated that they haven’t recently travelled to a heavily impacted area and that they are not showing any symptoms of COVID-19;
• Once they arrive in the territory, all critical workers must abide by strict social distancing rules. They are required to provide daily updates to their manager, monitor their health for any potential symptoms, and stay self-isolated when not at the workplace;
• Critical workers are vital to operations in the territory necessary for the protection of health and safety. Further restrictions to critical workers could endanger the lives of Nunavummiut.

No. Once travellers complete their mandatory 14-day isolation period in a southern facility and receive clearance to travel from the office of the Chief Public Health Officer, they are permitted to return to the territory. Upon arrival to their home community, these travellers are not required to isolate for an additional 14 days. However, they are still expected to follow the rules of social distancing and self-monitor for the development of any symptoms.

Presently, only Nunavut residents and critical workers (under strict guidelines) are allowed to travel to Nunavut.

Residents travelling to Nunavut must book their own travel. Tickets should be booked to correspond with the end date of the 14-day isolation period.

Please note: it is strongly advised that Nunavummiut avoid all non-essential travel. If you must travel outside the territory, you must self-isolate before returning to Nunavut. Contact CPHOtravelrequests@gov.nu.ca to determine your isolation procedures and how to best schedule your travel.

The definition for critical workers as well as the necessary forms for both critical worker and resident applications can be found at https://gov.nu.ca/health/information/covid-19-novel-coronavirus. If you are not certain if you qualify as a critical worker contact CPHOtravelrequests@gov.nu.ca.

If you are relocating to Nunavut for work and have a job offer, you can apply for travel as a resident, using supporting documentation. If you do not qualify for critical worker exemption, you must isolate at one of the designated isolation sites.