NWT outbreak grows a little, two YK schools involved

The NWT government reported 14 new Covid-19 cases on Wednesday, taking the territory’s number of active cases to 123 among residents and two out-of-territory cases.

A day earlier, on Tuesday, the territory had 115 active cases among residents and two out-of-territory. The outbreak has now involved 347 cases since it began in mid-August.

Yellowknife has 52 active cases, an increase of nine on Tuesday’s figure. Fort Providence dropped to two active cases, while one case was confirmed in Tulita.

There were no new exposure advisories issued by the territory.

“At this time, a low level of community transmission is occurring in Yellowknife. Identifying all of the possible public exposure sites in the community is not currently possible,” the GNWT said.

“All high-risk public exposures will be identified and communicated about in Yellowknife but we encourage residents to treat all public spaces as possible exposure sites.”

A Yellowknife high school said it would “closely monitor the situation” after an individual at the school tested positive for Covid-19.

École St Patrick High School said it would remain open for the time being but the situation could change.

The NWT government later said that case involved a student and another student at Sir John Franklin high school had also been diagnosed. Both students did not acquire their infection at school, the territory said.

“Due to the use of masks in all school settings the risk of transmission is low. Schools will be contacting affected students directly,” the territory added.

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In Fort Good Hope, all nine units in the community’s new nineplex are now ready for temporary occupancy to help people isolate, the territorial government said. In Norman Wells, a curfew between 12am and 6am nightly has been launched.

Earlier in the day, the territory’s chief public health officer said containment orders in Colville Lake and Fort Good Hope would lift on Saturday evening.

Dr Kami Kandola also said she discouraged all non-essential travel to or from Yellowknife – where community spread remains in evidence – as a means of protecting smaller communities.

Tulita announced its own municipally imposed 10-day lockdown after a resident’s rapid Covid-19 test came back positive. Mayor Douglas Yallee said the lockdown was a precautionary measure while the community awaited confirmation of that test result, which came later on Wednesday.