The Iqaluit Elders’ Home is being shut and elders are being moved out of the place, after employees were exposed to COVID-19 and ordered to self-isolate, as per Nunavut’s Department of Health.
Department spokesperson Chris Puglia did not say where the exposure had happened.
Six clients have been moved to other facilities, four are being moved to Embassy West Senior Living retirement home in Ottawa due to more advanced needs, whereas the rest are being cared for elsewhere in the region, Puglia said.
The territory’s chief public health officer, Dr. Michael Patterson, approved the transfers and has ordered a 14-day isolation period for locals moving to other facilities and for those who have chosen to go visit their home communities.
Two clients are being chartered to Ottawa Saturday night, whereas another two will fly tomorrow, according to the statement.
“There is currently no estimate when the Elders’ Home in Iqaluit will be operational again,” Puglia said. “However, once the outbreak is over and staffing permits, residents will be able to return.”
Moreover, he said that all the clients have been fully inoculated, and PPE will be worn during the transfer process.
This arrives as the number of COVID-19 cases in Iqaluit fell to 74 on Saturday. As per data from public health, 7 more persons in the capital city tested positive for the virus but 10 cases throughout the region were considered newly resolved.
