Canada’s Arctic territory extends its public health emergency to August
Nunavut’s health minister has announced that the territory’s public health emergency is extended for another two weeks.
The territory’s residents will live under this COVID-19 emergency measure until Aug. 6, states a government news release sent Thursday. The government renewed this emergency measure last on July 9.
The order allows the government to make necessary restrictions to keep COVID-19 out of the territory, or from spreading should it surface.
Nunavut has not had any confirmed cases of the illness, and is the only remaining jurisdiction in Canada to have zero cases of COVID-19.
“The threat of COVID-19 remains a serious risk, and we must ensure we continue to be diligent,” said Health Minister George Hickes in the news release Thursday.
“We are collectively responsible to one another and our communities, and we must stay committed.”
On Wednesday, the territory’s chief public health officer confirmed that two presumptive cases recently discovered at Mary River Mine tested negative in a southern lab. A third presumptive case announced earlier in the month was also ultimately deemed negative.
Dr. Michael Patterson told CBC that the mine’s three workers who had presumptive cases may have had COVID-19 in the past, and recovered.
The Northwest Territories also announced that it will extend its public health emergency Thursday.
Related stories from around the North:
Canada: Public health emergency extended again in Canada’s Northwest Territories, CBC News
Finland: Russian tourists eager to book holidays in Finland despite border closure, Yle News
Greenland: Greenland extends COVID-19 entry requirements until July 20, Eye on the Arctic
Iceland: Iceland revises COVID-19 border screening rules for citizens, residents, Eye on the Arctic
Norway: Norwegian Arctic wilderness tourism hit particularly hard by coronavirus, The Independent Barents Observer
Russia: The city that builds Russia’s nuclear submarines now has more than 2,000 COVID-19 cases, The Independent Barents Observer
Sweden: Sweden’s top epidemiologist admits he got COVID-19 strategy wrong, Radio Sweden
United States: Alaska Highway travellers might be in for rough ride this summer, CBC News
