Nunavut lifts 2-week coronavirus lockdown in all communities except Arviat

Nunavut’s two-week lockdown to slow the spread of COVID-19 is to end today as the territory continues to see a drop in new cases.

Dr. Michael Patterson, Nunavut’s chief public health officer, said earlier this week that schools, businesses and workplaces could reopen.

Restrictions are to lift in all communities except Arviat, which has 76 active cases and will remain shut down for at least two more weeks.

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Patterson says that’s because his team hasn’t determined if community transmission there is ongoing.

The Canadian Red Cross is on the ground in Arviat to help people self-isolate and to contact trace.

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Rankin Inlet and Whale Cove, in the same region as Arviat along the west cost of Hudson Bay, still have active COVID-19 cases, but no evidence of community transmission.

Nunavut had 93 active infections and 89 recovered cases on Tuesday for a total of 182.

The territory had not had any cases at all until early November.