Every Nunavut community must brace for COVID-19 surges, Patterson warns

Chesterfield Inlet became the 11th Nunavut community where COVID-19 has been detected, the Government of Nunavut announced Saturday. (Photo courtesy of Calm Air)

Nunavut residents should brace for COVID-19 infections to hit every community in the territory, chief public health officer Dr. Michael Patterson said Saturday as Chesterfield Inlet became the eleventh where the disease has been detected.

“Nunavummiut need to prepare for surges in case numbers and infections in every community,” Patterson said in a news release the Government of Nunavut issued Saturday.

It reported 177 confirmed cases of COVID-19, an increase of 50 compared to Friday.

It published a list of the number of confirmed cases in the following communities:

• Arviat — 47
• Chesterfield Inlet —2
• Baker Lake — 1
• Pond Inlet — 1
• Igloolik — 16
• Iqaluit — 48
• Pangnirtung —18
• Qikiqtarjuaq — 3
• Rankin Inlet — 32
• Sanirajak — 9

The GN believes there are cases in Cambridge Bay but they are pending testing. On Friday, the government began identifying communities where COVID-19 is suspected, but where test results have not confirmed it.

The number of cases it reports is based on results that have been confirmed by test results.

Patterson urged people to stay home if they feel sick, to wear masks, and to keep “strict physical distance.”

He repeated that vaccines are “the best defence against getting severely ill from COVID-19.”