COVID-19 case identified in Iqaluit, flight exposure notice issued

• An earlier version of this story said an exposure notice was issued for people in rows 10-14on Canadian North flight 5T-101 from Ottawa to Iqaluit on Friday, Sept. 10. In fact, the notice applies to rows 10-16.

A new case of COVID-19 was identified in Iqaluit Sunday ina person who traveled to the city on Friday and was tested Sunday after developing symptoms.

It marks the first case in the city since an outbreak wrapped up in July.

The person has been isolating since returning to Iqaluit, according to a news release from Dr. Michael Patterson, Nunavut's chief public health officer, and the risk to the public remains low.

He said contact tracing was still underway.

Patterson also noted that 97 per cent of people in Iqaluit over age 12 are fully vaccinated and there will be no changes to public health measures at the moment.

Masks, he said, are still strongly recommended.

Exposure notice

An exposure notice was issued for people in rows 10-16on Canadian North flight 5T-101 from Ottawa to Iqaluit on Sept. 10.

Fully vaccinated people in those rows are asked toisolate and seek testing if they develop symptoms (or seek testing immediately if desired).

Everyone else in those rows is asked to call the hotline at 1-888-975-8601 between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. ET to arrange for testing.

Two cases of COVID-19 have recently been reported inRankin Inlet, where one person was medevaced south for treatment. Masks are now mandatory in that community.