6 new COVID-19 cases reported in Iqaluit as outbreak grows

Six more cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Nunavut, new data from public health says.

The update comes aday after the territory's top public health official declared an outbreak of COVID-19 in Iqaluit.

The total number of active cases in the territory is now up to 19.

According to a tweet by Premier Joe Savikataaq Saturday morning,all of the positive cases are in Iqaluit and all of them are stable and isolating at home.

The city had confirmed its first case of COVID-19 Wednesday night, and 12 more cases were announced Friday morning.

Dr. Michael Patterson, the territory's chief public health officer, declared the outbreak Friday. At the time, he said there was no evidence of community transmission, and the source of the virus hadn't been determined yet.

He also said the cases involve multiple households.

The case confirmed Wednesday is an essential workerwho did not have to isolate before entering the territory. The person had been in Iqaluit for more than two weeks, which Health MinisterLorne Kusugakpreviously said was a sign they may have contracted the virus while in the city.

Essential workers are not allowed to go anywhere but work and a weekly trip to the grocery store, until they've been in the territory longer than two weeks.

As of Friday, 14,035 people in Nunavut had received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine while 10,434 had received their second dose.