As we all know Covid-19 cases are increasing in an alarming rate in whole nation wide. But there’s one such unique region which is free of Corona virus. “Nunavut”which is one of a rare place we can say its free of corona virus in its community.
In March, as the whole world decided to shut there borders due to Corona Virus infection Nunavut officials too decided that they would also take no risk.
They imposed some of the strictest travel regulations in Canada, barring entry to almost all non-residents.
Firstly Residents who were returning to their home from the south would have to spend two weeks, at the Nunavut government’s expense, in “isolation hubs” – hotels in the cities of Winnipeg, Yellowknife, Ottawa or Edmonton.
Throughout the hotels ,Security guards were positioned and nurses check in on the health of those isolating. To date, just over 7,000 Nunavummiut have spent time in these hubs as a stopover on their return home.
It’s not been without challenges. People have been caught breaking isolation and have had stays extended, which has in part contributed to occasional waiting times to enter the some of the hubs. There have been complaints about the food available to those confined there.
But, as coronavirus infections spread throughout Canada, and with the number of cases on the rise again, the official case count in Nunavut remains zero.
The “fairly drastic” decision to bring in these measures was made both due to the population’s potential vulnerability to Covid-19 and the unique challenges of the Arctic region, says Nunavut’s chief public health officer, Dr Michael Patterson.
About 36,000 people live in Nunavut, bound by the Arctic Ocean to the north and the Northwest Territories to the west, in 25 communities scattered across its two million square kilometres (809,000 square miles). That’s about three times the size of Texas.
The distances are “mind-boggling at times”, admits Dr Patterson.
Natural isolation is likely to be part of the reason for the lack of cases – those communities can only be reached year-round by plane.