NWT to reveal Covid-19 ’emerging wisely plan’ on Tuesday

The NWT government will on Tuesday make public its plan to gradually ease restrictions related to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Dr Kami Kandola, the NWT’s chief public health officer, will discuss the plan in a news conference alongside NWT Premier Caroline Cochrane and the territory’s health minister, Diane Thom.

The news conference will be carried live on an NWT government Facebook page at 3pm MT. It’s not clear if the contents of the plan will be released ahead of the broadcast.

The plan to ease restrictions will be known as the Emerging Wisely Plan, the territorial government revealed on Monday.

Dr Kandola will spend Tuesday’s news conference discussing “the path to eased public health restrictions across our territory,” according to a short advisory issued to reporters on Monday.

Previously, the NWT has said border restrictions are set to remain for many months but public health orders related to outdoor gatherings and the closure of some businesses could be eased.

That could mean, for example, allowing hair salons to reopen if physical distancing measures are in place, or easing the requirement that only up to 10 people gather outdoors.

Tuesday’s publication of the plan is expected to see the NWT government set timelines for the easing of restrictions or explain in detail how those decisions will be taken.

Staff have said the plan will be detailed but will also involve multiple phases, be subject to change as the situation evolves, and will err on the side of caution.

The NWT has had five confirmed cases of Covid-19 since the pandemic began. All five have recovered. The territory’s last positive test was reported on April 6.