6 new COVID-19 cases reported in Iqaluit as outbreak grows
19 individuals are stable and isolating at home, says Premier
Six more cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Nunavut, new data from public health says.
The update comes a day after the territory's top public health official declared an outbreak of COVID-19 in Iqaluit.
The total number of active cases in the territory is now up to 19.
According to a tweet by Premier Joe Savikataaq Saturday morning, all of the positive cases are in Iqaluit and all of them are stable and isolating at home.
Nunavut is announcing six new cases of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/COVID19?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#COVID19</a> today. There are now 19 active cases of COVID-19, all in Iqaluit. All individuals are stable and isolating at home.<br> <br>*Vaccines numbers will be updated when available. <a href="https://t.co/fNFbfB29Tv">pic.twitter.com/fNFbfB29Tv</a>
—@JSavikataaqThe city had confirmed its first case of COVID-19 Wednesday night, and 12 more cases were announced Friday morning.
Dr. Michael Patterson, the territory's chief public health officer, declared the outbreak Friday. At the time, he said there was no evidence of community transmission, and the source of the virus hadn't been determined yet.
He also said the cases involve multiple households.
The case confirmed Wednesday is an essential worker who did not have to isolate before entering the territory. The person had been in Iqaluit for more than two weeks, which Health Minister Lorne Kusugak previously said was a sign they may have contracted the virus while in the city.
Essential workers are not allowed to go anywhere but work and a weekly trip to the grocery store, until they've been in the territory longer than two weeks.
As of Friday, 14,035 people in Nunavut had received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine while 10,434 had received their second dose.