A stop sign in English, French and Inuit is seen in Iqaluit, Nunavut on April 25, 2015. The Inuit Circumpolar Council says if the novel coronavirus spreads to the north its communities in Canada, Alaska and Greenland are at a much higher risk of exposure because of a chronic lack of basic infrastructure and resources. The group says the Inuit must be considered in the government’s national and regions response and preparedness plans for coronavirus and the potential compounding threat to basic health and well-being in those communities. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson

A stop sign in English, French and Inuit is seen in Iqaluit, Nunavut on April 25, 2015. The Inuit Circumpolar Council says if the novel coronavirus spreads to the north its communities in Canada, Alaska and Greenland are at a much higher risk of exposure because of a chronic lack of basic infrastructure and resources. The group says the Inuit must be considered in the government’s national and regions response and preparedness plans for coronavirus and the potential compounding threat to basic health and well-being in those communities. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson

Nunavut confirms first case of COVID-19 in Pond Inlet

Pond Inlet is on the northern part of Baffin Island, about 1,000 kilometres north of Iqaluit,

  • Apr. 30, 2020 12:00 a.m.
  • News

Nunavut says it has its first case of COVID-19.

The territory’s chief public health officer, Dr. Michael Patterson, says the case was detected in the community of Pond Inlet.

“We did anticipate that it was only a matter of time before our territory had a confirmed case, and unfortunately, today is that day,” Patterson said in a news release Thursday.

The person was said to be in isolation and doing well.

The territory’s rapid response team was on its way to the community and Patterson said contact tracing had been initiated.

Nunavut is the last Canadian jurisdiction to report a COVID-19 case.

Pond Inlet is on the northern part of Baffin Island, about 1,000 kilometres north of Iqaluit, and has a population of about 1,600.

In the latest count before the report of the Nunavut infection, Canada had 51,596 confirmed or presumptive cases of the respiratory novel coronavirus, and had recorded 2,996 deaths.

The Canadian Press

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