The Nunavut government says passengers on a Canadian North flight with service to Yellowknife may have been exposed to Covid-19.
According to a “notice of potential exposure” tweeted by Nunavut Premier Joe Savikataaq on Saturday, contact tracing determined that passengers on Canadian North flight 239 – which left Iqaluit at 5:50pm ET on Friday – may have been exposed to Covid-19.
The flight included service to Rankin Inlet and connected to Yellowknife and Edmonton. Nunavut’s Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Michael Patterson said in a news release on Saturday that anyone who boarded in Rankin Inlet or Yellowknife is not considered at risk.
Important information for those who travelled on Canadian North Flight 229 on Friday, April 23 ⬇️ Advertisement. Advertisement.
*all languages will be posted as soon as they are available pic.twitter.com/4u437PjynP
Affected rows are not specified in the notice. The flight is not currently listed on the potential exposure warning page of Canadian North’s website.
The Public Health Agency of Canada recommends that passengers in affected rows, or all passengers on flights where rows are not specified, self-monitor for symptoms for 14 days. If symptoms develop, isolate immediately and contact your public health agency.
The exposure notice comes after Dr. Patterson confirmed two positive cases of Covid-19 in Rankin Inlet on Saturday. He said both cases are directly linked to an outbreak in Iqaluit and there is a very low risk to residents in Rankin Inlet at this time. Both individuals are isolating and doing well.
Nunavut now has a total of 41 active cases of Covid 19, 35 of which are in Iqaluit, four in Kinngait, and two in Rankin Inlet.
There are currently eight active cases of Covid-19 in the NWT.
