A case of COVID-19 has been detected in Rankin Inlet.
Dr. Rosann Seviour, Nunavut’s Acting Chief Public Health Officer confirmed the positive case in a press release on Sept. 3.
“The individual returned to Rankin Inlet on August 29 from travel outside of the territory and was symptomatic prior to travel,” said Dr. Seviour. “The individual was confirmed COVID-19 positive by the lab in Rankin Inlet yesterday evening and has since been medevacked to a hospital in Southern Canada. All household contacts are isolating at home.”
Contact tracing is ongoing and the risk to the community is currently considered low. The case is not linked to the positive wastewater signals reported last week in the community.
Out of an abundance of caution, masks are now mandatory in all public spaces in Rankin Inlet. There will be no other changes to public health measures at this time.
Last week the department of health announced that COVID-19 had been detected in waste water samples collected on August 17, 18 and 19. However there were no new cases discovered until today.
“Rankin Inlet has a large percentage of its eligible population fully vaccinated, which will help protect the population from COVID-19. I encourage everyone who is eligible for the vaccine to get it. It will help protect people from severe illness and hospitalization,” Minister of Health Lorne Kusugak said.