Canada’s eastern Arctic territory of Nunavut extends public health emergency into September
Nunavut’s health minister has announced that the territory’s public health emergency is extended for another two weeks into September.
The COVID-19 emergency measure will be in place until Sept. 3, states a government news release sent Friday. The last order was set to expire Thursday.
The order allows the government to make 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.
According to the government’s latest numbers from Monday, 2023 people have been investigated for COVID-19 and 252 people are waiting test results.
There have been three presumptive cases at the Mary River Mine near Pond Inlet, but they were all ultimately deemed negative by a southern lab. The territory’s chief public health officer said at the time that the individuals may have had COVID-19 before, but had since recovered.
Public health recommendations still in effect
The news release reminded Nunavummiut to physically distance, wash their hands frequently and stay home if they’re unwell.
Anyone who believes they may have been exposed to COVID-19 should self-isolate immediately. People can call the government’s hotline at 1-888-975-8601 between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., or notify their local health centre.
Related stories from around the North:
Canada: Inuit gov. in Labrador, Canada tells out-of-province travellers to stay away despite ‘Atlantic bubble’, Eye on the Arctic
Finland: Finland joins other Nordic countries in virtual tourism due to pandemic, Yle News
Greenland: Greenland changes COVID-19 rules for travellers from Iceland, Faroe Islands, Eye on the Arctic
Iceland: Iceland intensifies COVID-19 border testing after case increase, Eye on the Arctic
Norway: Norwegian Arctic wilderness tourism hit particularly hard by coronavirus, The Independent Barents Observer
Russia: All Russia’s North Pole cruises rescheduled to 2021, Eye on the Arctic
Sweden: Sweden seen as major source of COVID-19 in Western Finland region, Yle News
United States: Airline shutdown creates new challenges for rural Alaska, The Associated Press
