NU Government: COVID-19 Department of Health Services update
Press Release
The Department of Health would like to remind all Nunavummiut that travel out of Nunavut is not recommended. The second wave of COVID-19 in Canada is making the situation unpredictable.
Travellers to southern Canada are reminded that as the holiday season approaches travel is not advised. Entry into the isolation sites in Edmonton, Winnipeg and Ottawa could be delayed if there are no rooms available. Priority will also be given to medical travellers.
While the Common Travel Areas between the NWT and Nunavut, and Churchill, Man., and Nunavut continue to be in effect, this could change at any time.
If transmission of COVID-19 is confirmed in any of the Common Travel Area jurisdictions. In this event, travel could be restricted without notice and travel to Nunavut might be delayed. Travellers could also be subject to 14 days of isolation before being allowed entry to Nunavut.
Travellers in the Common Travel Areas are also reminded that a letter from the office of the Chief Public Health Officer authorizing travel is required to return to Nunavut. Travellers without a letter will not be allowed to board an aircraft. Please allow sufficient time (two to three days) between requesting the letter and the date of travel to Nunavut to avoid travel delays.
| Total (all health isolation locations) | |
| Traveler type | Guests in isolation as of Oct 17 |
| Medical | 436 |
| Public | 291 |
| Total | 727 |
Traveller repatriation summary
| Departure date | # of travellers from health isolation sites |
| Oct. 17 | 1 |
| Oct. 18 | 26 |
| Oct. 19 | 83 |
| Oct. 20 | 55 |
| Oct. 21 | 81 |
| Total | 246 |
Critical Worker Requests
As of Oct. 17, there were 7459 requests, 3513 of which were critical worker requests.
| Request status | # | % |
| Approved (includes critical and non-critical) | 4999 | 67.2% |
| Denied | 273 | 3.7% |
| Pending | 258 | 3.5% |
| Common Travel Area approved | 1929 | 25.9% |
| Total | 7459 | 100% |
Department of Health Update – October 8
| Total (all health isolation locations) | |
| Traveler type | Guests in isolation as of Oct 8 |
| Medical | 540 |
| Public | 320 |
| Total | 860 |
Traveller repatriation summary:
| Departure date | # of travellers from health isolation sites |
| Oct 8 | 65 |
| Oct 9 | 48 |
| Oct 10 | 0 |
| Oct 11 | 69 |
| Oct 12 | 112 |
| Total | 307 |
Critical Worker Requests
As of Oct. 8, there were 6898 requests, 3303 of which were critical worker requests.
| Request status | # | % |
| Approved (includes critical and non-critical) | 4774 | 69.2% |
| Denied | 264 | 3.9% |
| Pending | 131 | 1.9% |
| Common Travel Area Approved | 1727 | 25.0% |
| Total | 6898 | 100% |
Department of Health Services Update – October 5
| Total (all health isolation locations) | |
| Traveler type | Guests in isolation as of Oct 2 |
| Medical | 366 |
| Public | 398 |
| Total | 764 |
Traveller repatriation summary:
| Departure date | # of travellers from health isolation sites |
| Oct 1 | 64 |
| Oct 2 | 47 |
| Oct 3 | 0 |
| Oct 4 | 28 |
| Oct 5 | 127 |
| Total | 266 |
Critical Worker Requests
As of Oct. 5, there were 6615 requests, 3174 of which were critical worker requests.
| Request status | # | % |
| Approved (includes critical and non-critical) | 4666 | 69.8% |
| Denied | 264 | 4.0% |
| Pending | 110 | 1.6% |
| Common Travel Area Approved | 1642 | 24.6% |
| Total | 6682 | 100% |
Department of Health Services Update – October 2
Chief Public Health Officer update
Good morning. On September 28, the Department of Health activated its Rapid Response Team to contain an outbreak of COVID-19 at TMAC Resources’ Hope Bay mine.
TMAC Resources contacted my office on September 26 about an employee developing symptoms consistent with COVID-19. The individual and identified contacts were swabbed and the samples sent to Rankin Inlet for testing.
Seven of the samples yielded positive results, and all were sent to a southern lab for confirmatory testing. Two of those tests have since been confirmed.
As the test results indicated transmission of COVID-19 at the mine site, we initiated our rapid response plan to assist in containing the virus.
All non-critical travel to and from the mine was also halted.
The Rapid Response Team has been conducting additional contact tracing and taking samples.
As of last night, five more swabs were flown to Rankin Inlet for testing on the GeneXpert or BioFire devices, one has tested positive and will be sent for confirmatory testing. The results of one test are still pending. Another eight swabs will be delivered to Rankin Inlet tomorrow.
To accurately detect the virus, high risk contacts from the initial batch of tests have been re swabbed to ensure testing is being done at appropriate times during the incubation period.
All those who tested positive and high-risk, non-critical staff contacts have been isolated.
Critical staff contacts who are required to continue working for the safety of the other workers, are doing so until they can be replaced. Those staff are following strict measures to keep isolated from those around them, including wearing masks. Workers who develop symptoms will be required to isolate immediately.
As of Yesterday, the two individuals who were symptomatic have had their symptoms resolve.
The Rapid Response Team is currently continuing contact tracing and containment operations and are expected to be on site until the middle of next week.
While the transmission of COVID-19 at the mine is concerning, the risk to Nunavummiut from this outbreak remains low. Hope Bay does not currently have Nunavummiut working on site and there is no contact from the mine to any Nunavut communities.
Once the Rapid Response Team concludes its work, my office will review the incident and information gathered by the Rapid Response Team. From there, we will determine if there are enhanced measures needed to reduce the risk of another outbreak.
Thank you.
Read More: https://www.gov.nu.ca/health/news/covid-19-department-health-services-update
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