By Canadian Press

COVID-19 outbreak declared in Iqaluit as infection numbers rise after first case

Apr 16, 2021 | 11:34 AM

IQALUIT, Nunavut — Nunavut has declared an outbreak of COVID-19 in Iqaluit after 12 new cases were reported overnight.

There are now 13 active cases in the capital city of about 8,000 people.

The city went under a strict lockdown, closing all non-essential businesses, government offices and schools, after its first case was identified Wednesday.

The territory’s chief public health officer, Dr. Michael Patterson, says there isn’t evidence of community transmission in Iqaluit because so far all of the cases have been identified through contact tracing.

Patterson says the cases involve multiple households and the source of how the virus entered Iqaluit is still unknown.

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Patterson also says Iqaluit Public Health has identified more than 70 new contacts through contact tracing.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 16, 2021.

The Canadian Press