The NWT’s chief public health officer announced 20 new cases of Covid-19 on Wednesday, bringing the total number of active cases in the territory to 246.
Among those cases, 244 are among NWT residents. The majority are in the Sahtu region with 89 in Fort Good Hope, 75 in Colville Lake, 29 in Norman Wells and nine in Délınę. There are also 36 cases in Yellowknife, three cases each in Fort Providence and Hay River, and one each in Inuvik, Fort Smith, and Gamètì.
The office of the chief public officer said to protect those at high-risk of severe symptoms during the Covid-19 outbreak, a limited roll-out of third doses of Covid-19 vaccines will be offered to residents at long-term care facilities in the territory. A Covid-19 outbreak was declared at Norman Well’s long-term care facility on August 18, after two cases were confirmed.
Residents at long-term care facilities were the first to be offered their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine in the NWT’s initial vaccine roll-out in December 2020. Earlier this month, health officials said Covid-19 vaccines were available in every community with a nursing presence, marking a move from scheduled vaccine clinics.
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On Wednesday, health officials also listed new exposure notices for an August 23 7:30pm flight from Yellowknife to Hay River, and an August 22 3:30pm flight from Yellowknife to Gamètì. Anyone on those flights who was fully vaccinated is advised to self monitor and, if they develop symptoms, to self-isolate and arrange for testing. Partially or unvaccinated passengers must self-isolate for 10 days and arrange for testing.
Since the start of the pandemic, the territory has had a total of eight hospitalizations related to Covid-19. On Tuesday, health officials confirmed the territory’s first Covid-19-related death after respected Sahtu Dene Elder Gabriel Kochon passed away.
On Wednesday afternoon, the territorial government said commuity spread of Covid-19 has begun in Yellowknife and it is believed that community spread has occurred in Fort Good Hope, Colville Lake and Norman Wells.
Norman Wells began a 10-day containment order on Wednesday while containment orders in Colville Lake and Fort Good Hope have been extended until September 4. That extension comes with new rules that state the order will no longer apply to residents once a health care provider deems that they have recovered from Covid-19.
Effective Thursday at 8am mask wearing in all indoor public spaces will be mandatory across the NWT.
