N.W.T. cancels travel bubble with Nunavut, issues 2 public exposure notices

Citing concerns about COVID-19 community spread in Nunavut, the N.W.T. is cancelling the travel bubble between it and its neighbouring territory.

The cancellation took effect Thursday at 5 p.m.

"The updated [public health order] will now be treating all residents travelling from or through Nunavut as though they are travellers from outside of the N.W.T.,"stated a news release from the N.W.T. Office of the Chief Public Health Officer.

Earlier Thursday, Nunavut public health officials said they suspected community transmission in Iqaluit, the territory's capital, after identifying a case of COVID-19 in a resident who hadn't left the community in more than a month.

Nunavut's chief public health officer, Dr. Michael Patterson, announced immediate restrictions and limits to travel in and out of the city.

N.W.T. issues 2new exposure notices, overall case count rises by 2

In the N.W.T., the government said there were 26 active cases across the territory Thursday, an increase of two since Wednesday.

It said 21 of the cases are in the Yellowknife area and five are in the Beaufort Delta region.

The N.W.T. government also issued public exposure notices for two Canadian North flights.

The first one is for passengers in rows one to four in Canadian North Flight 5T244 from Edmonton to Yellowknife on Dec. 18.

The second one is for passengers in rows 19 to 23 on flight 5T239 from Iqaluit to Yellowknife on Dec. 16.

The notice states that all unvaccinated passengers in the affected rows of both flights are required to isolate where they are, not travel, and get tested on day eight or if symptoms develop.

Vaccinated passengers in the affected rows of both flights need to self-monitor for 10 days and get tested on day four, or if symptoms develop.