By Canadian Press

More COVID-19 cases found in North; Nunavut shuts some schools, mandates masks

Nov 13, 2020 | 12:03 PM

Another case of COVID-19 has been confirmed in western Nunavut to add to the territory’s three other infections.

It’s prompted the chief public health officer to close the Kivalliq region’s schools, make masks mandatory in public and restrict flights starting Sunday.

Dr. Michael Patterson says an Arviat resident returned to the town of about 2,600 earlier this month after spending 14 days in mandatory isolation in a Winnipeg hotel.

Seven days after returning home, the person became ill and was medevaced to Winnipeg, where a COVID-19 test came back positive.

Patterson says an earlier positive case in Rankin Inlet, also in the Kivalliq region, completed isolation in Winnipeg as well and has a similar travel history to the Arviat case.

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He says the common travel history is concerning, but it’s not yet certain how the two were exposed to the novel coronavirus after isolating.

Nunavut had been free of COVID-19 throughout the pandemic until two weeks ago.

In the neighbouring Northwest Territories, four more cases of the illness have been confirmed — all related to the same household in Fort Smith.

A statement from the N.W.T.’s chief public health officer, Kami Kondala, says all contacts have been identified and there is no risk to the public.

The N.W.T. has had a total of 15 cases, five of which are active.

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This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Facebook and Canadian Press News Fellowship

Emma Tranter, The Canadian Press