The Northwest Territories late on Sunday confirmed a fifth case of Covid-19, saying the person had travelled in Latin America before returning to Yellowknife.
The NWT’s fifth case is the territorial capital’s third. The others have been in Inuvik and Fort Resolution. Patient five was said to be “recuperating at home.”
The individual returned to Yellowknife on March 23 having already completed a self-isolation plan. On their return, said the NWT government, they “immediately went into mandatory self-isolation along with their household.”
Symptoms began on March 31 and a Covid-19 test was carried out on April 2. A positive result came back within three days, the NWT government said.
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“This is another case where everything was done right,” said the office of the chief public health officer in a statement.
“The individual and their household immediately isolated, had food dropped off, and stayed home. When they developed symptoms, they called ahead and were tested safely using the necessary protective equipment.
“While public health is investigating all possible contacts 48 hours before symptoms developed and onwards, because the individual followed all instructions, they are expected to be limited.”
All five cases in the NWT so far are linked to travel.
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That’s important as it means there is still no evidence of community spread – where the virus is transmitted without any apparent connection to travel or an existing confirmed case, making it much harder to halt the spread.
Nevertheless, the NWT government had already said it was contemplating “more stringent” measures for the coming week. The territory is also investing in faster tests.
Latest on the NWT’s Covid-19 patients as at 19:55 MT, April 5, 2020:
Patient one – Yellowknife – recovered
Returned from BC and Alberta in mid-March
Patient two – Inuvik – recovering at home
Returned from BC on March 21
Patient three – Yellowknife – recovering at home
Returned from Europe on March 20
Patient four – Fort Resolution – receiving hospital treatment in Yellowknife
Returned from “elsewhere in Canada” on March 22
Patient five – Yellowknife – recovering at home
Returned from Latin America on March 23
