Due to a recent confirmed case of the virus, all non-essential businesses and government offices in Iqaluit must close as of 7 a.m. on April 15th.
Dr. Michael Patterson, Nunavut’s Chief Public Health Officer, confirmed the positive case of COVID-19 last night.
Patterson says the individual is currently isolating and is doing well and that immediate contact tracing within the community has been initiated.
Due to the case, indoor gatherings are being restricted to a household plus five for emergencies only, and outdoor gatherings are limited to five people.
All indoor public gatherings are prohibited and all schools in Iqaluit will be closed for the remainder of this week. Masks are now mandatory in Iqaluit.
“We ask residents of Iqaluit to stay home as much as possible and limit contact with other community members, including family members living in different households,” Patterson says.
Travelers who have departed Iqaluit on or after April 13th must immediately isolate in their home community upon arrival for 14 days.
Patterson says all non-essential travel to and from Iqaluit is highly discouraged.
In February, it was announced that Nunavut residents hoping to enter the NWT needed to apply for self isolation exemptions in order to enter the territory.
