NWT extends public health emergency until at least May 11

The NWT’s public health emergency was again extended on Tuesday, a ritual that has been performed every two weeks for 14 months.

This extension will last until May 11, 2021. The emergency gives the NWT’s chief public health officer expanded powers to fight the Covid-19 pandemic, such as implementing travel, isolation, and gathering restrictions.

First declared in mid-March 2020, the emergency must be reviewed every two weeks by the health minister and either renewed or terminated.

The territory marks each extension with brief public notices. It is highly unlikely that the emergency will lift in the near future, with the NWT expecting to keep some forms of restriction in place for months to come.