A confirmed case of COVID-19 has been reported in Rankin Inlet in Nunavut.
The case is Nunavut’s third in a week, and the impact it could have on the Northern travel bubble with the Northwest Territories is still being determined, according to Nunavut’s Chief Public Health Officer.
Contact tracing is ongoing, and a rapid response team is on standby to support the public health team already in Rankin Inlet, according to Dr. Michael Patterson, Nunavut’s CPHO.
Nunavut is advising against travel to and from Rankin Inlet — the Inuit hamlet on the western coast of Hudson Bay. Restrictions within the community have tightened as well.
Indoor gatherings are no longer permitted, and all outdoor gatherings are limited to five people or less. Residents are required to wear a mask while outside of their homes.
Any individual who has travelled to or through Rankin Inlet, with a layover of longer than four hours since November 5, must self-monitor for 14 days from when they left Rankin Inlet.
Only essential services are permitted to remain open, with grocery stores cutting their hours.
“To the residents of Rankin Inlet and all Nunavummiut, I ask you to remain calm and caring. Compassion and understanding will help us through this situation,” Minister of Health Lorne Kusugak said in a statement.
“Now is the time to be vigilant with social distancing, washing your hands, and staying home. I’m sending my best wishes for a quick recovery to the patient, and strength to everyone in Rankin Inlet.”
More to come.
