You cannot go back to your home community without first self-isolating for 14 days in Yellowknife, Inuvik, Hay River or Fort Smith. If you don’t have a place to stay, the Government of the Northwest Territories will arrange accommodations for you.

You will also need to:

• Complete the approved self-isolation plan within 24 hours and complete and submit the symptom check form to Protect NWT online or by calling Protect NWT at 8-1-1 on your 2^nd, 6^th, 10^th and 14^th days of self-isolation.
• Monitor your health for symptoms of COVID-19.
• Follow healthy respiratory practices
• Complete the online self-assessment to determine whether you should be arranging for a test if you begin feeling sick. If you need to be tested, contact the appropriate medical centre by phone and they will give you further instructions. Do not go in without speaking to them by phone first.

Please confirm with the provider that arranged your appointment for advice. In the event you are told to go, you will need to self-isolate for 14 days upon your return in Yellowknife, Inuvik, Hay River or Fort Smith only. You will not be allowed to self-isolate in a small community or other regional centre other than the four listed communities if they have returned from outside the NWT.

You will need to:

• Complete the approved self-isolation plan within 24 hours and complete and submit the symptom check form to Protect NWT online or by calling Protect NWT at 8-1-1 on your 2^nd, 6^th, 10^th and 14^th days of self-isolation.
• Monitor your health for symptoms of COVID-19.
• Follow healthy respiratory practices

Effective November 16 at 5pm: All travelers who have arrived from Arviat, Sanikiluaq, or Ranking Inlet within the last 14 days must self-isolate immediately. Anyone who has already arrived in the Northwest Territories from other communities in Nunavut must self-monitor for symptoms of COVID-19 for 14 days after their arrival in the NWT. 

Effective November 17 at 12pm: All travelers arriving from Nunavut in the Northwest Territories must submit a self-isolation plan upon arrival in the Northwest Territories and self-isolate for 14 days until further notice.

Only the following can travel within the NWT. However, each group will have their own self-isolation or travel restrictions and requirements:

• Northwest Territories residents (includes students temporarily living in the NWT to attend an educational facility, college, or trade school).
• Flight crews and airline employees.
• Essential Service Workers, including but not limited to, health and social service providers, postal service workers, peace officers and others employed for the preservation and maintenance of the public peace, emergency responders, employees of and persons engaged by the Department of National Defence, municipal enforcement officers, community government essential service workers and, federal and territorial parks officers, and Correctional Officers transporting inmates.
• Persons engaged in providing child and dependent care to essential services workers.
• Persons participating in traditional harvesting and on the land activities that cross the NWT border but do not enter any communities as part of this, with the exception of travelling through Fort Smith to exercise their treaty rights to harvest.
• Transient workers employed at work camp where work is done in relation to the NWT mineral and petroleum resources industry.
• Remote and non-remote infrastructure workers.
• Inmates in transit.
• Persons moving to live in the NWT, including students who will be attending an educational facility, college or trade school.
• Non-resident workers.
• Persons with Public Health Officer issued Standard, Limited or Restricted Access Passes traveling via the Fort Smith NWT-Alberta border.
• Persons otherwise granted approval by the Chief Public Health Officer for reasons including but not limited to compassionate or family reunification.

If they are in the NWT for less than 36 hours, they must self-monitor and comply with the social distancing protocols established by the Chief Public Health Officer while working and self-isolate while not working.

If they show symptoms of COVID-19, they must immediately self-isolate and call a health care provider.

If they will be in the NWT for more than 36 hours, they must:

• Submit a worker self-isolation plan to protectnwt@gov.nt.ca or by calling 1-833-378-8297 as soon as reasonably possible.
• They must stay in their accommodations and self-isolate when not working.
• Comply with social distancing protocols when working. If this is not possible, they must wear a face covering or personal protective equipment.
• If they are sick, they must not travel into the NWT.
• And If they get sick while they are here, they must immediately go into self-isolation and call a health care provider.

If they are NWT residents and have not travelled outside Canada within the past 14 days, but have travelled outside the NWT as part of their work duties, they are exempt from the above, but must:

• abide by  the Travel Restriction Protocol established by the Chief Public Health Officer while working outside of the Northwest Territories;

• maintain 2 meters distance from persons outside their household while working. When this is not possible, wear a face-covering or personal protective equipment;

• self-isolate while not working;
• self-monitor for symptoms of COVID-19 and complete the daily self-monitoring form while working outside of the Northwest Territories and for 14 days following their return to the Northwest Territories, and make the completed form readily available upon request from a public health official;  and
• immediately self-isolate and contact a health care provider if they exhibit any symptoms of COVID-19.

The following steps shall be taken by all workers:

1. Practice social distancing for 14 days prior to traveling within the NWT;
2. Practice enhanced hand hygiene;
3. Follow healthy respiratory practices and enhanced disinfection procedures;
4. Monitor themselves for symptoms 14 days prior to traveling within the NWT, using the attached daily self-monitoring form;
5. Follow guidance included in the Protocol if you or a member of your household have or develop COVID-19 symptoms during the 14 days prior to traveling within the NWT;
6. Have the completed daily self-monitoring form ready if required to produce the completed form at a port of entry into the NWT; and
7. Provide the completed daily self-monitoring form to their Occupational Health Supervisor upon arrival to the remote camp.

For more information, see Social Distancing Protocol for Remote Work Camps - In Relaxing Phase 2

If you have a credible and specific complaint that any individual is disobeying this order, you are asked to email protectnwt@gov.nt.ca or call 1-833-378-8297, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Your complaint will be investigated by the Office of the Chief Public Health Officer or any other person ordered to investigate the complaint.

They are not allowed to travel within the NWT. If they arrive at an NWT border checkpoint by road, they will be notified that they will receive a charge if they proceed.

If they arrive at an airport, and a return flight is not immediately available, they will be issued an exceptional circumstance approval to self-isolate at a designated isolation facility until the first available flight. If they stay longer, they will be charged. It is an offence to proceed to our communities.

If they arrive by water, it is an offence to proceed to our communities.

A ticket for this offence is $1500 with a $225 victim’s surcharge. This can be handed out daily if necessary.

Under the Public Health Act, Public Health Officials may enforce orders as peace officers and may seek the assistance of any other Peace Officers, like police or municipal bylaw officers, to actively enforce orders. Disobeying the order is punishable by law and may include a fine upon summary conviction of up to $10,000 and six months imprisonment.

You can travel to certain areas of northern Alberta without the need for self-isolation in the following situations:

• Using the Standard Access Pass for day-use travel for certain activities such as accessing essential businesses and facilities in phase 1 and 2 of Emerging Wisely, Pelican Rapids Golf course and the Fort Smith Ski Club, and trails and recreational areas, including Slave River Rapids, within Alberta north of and including the vicinity of Fort Fitzgerald and the Salt River Day Use area.
• Using the Limited Access Pass for overnight travel in Alberta where the final destination is north of Hay Camp on Highway 61, or north of Peace Point on Highways 58 and 60 (includes Pine Lake).
• Using the Restricted Access Pass for overnight travel in Alberta where the final destination is farther than Hay Camp on Highway 61, or to or farther than Peace Point on Highways 58 and 60, but not as far as Fort Chipewyan.

You can obtain the appropriate pass from your local regional enforcement lead, or at the Fort Smith check stop.

For more information, please see Fort Smith Border Protocol.

Yes. If you plan on becoming a resident, you must have a Protect NWT approved Resident Self-Isolation Plan before travelling within the territory.  If you are temporarily staying in the NWT, you must have a Protect NWT approved Worker Self-Isolation Plan before travelling within the territory. You must also show either proof of intent to take up permanent residency (such as statutory declaration, employer letter of offer) or proof of legitimate intent to work (such as employer letter of offer, contract, business plan).

On arrival, you must self-isolate for 14 days in Yellowknife, Inuvik, Hay River or Fort Smith only. You will not be allowed to self-isolate in a small community or other regional centre other than the four listed communities.

You will need to:

• Complete the approved self-isolation plan two weeks ahead of time and have it approved before traveling within the NWT and complete and submit the symptom check form to Protect NWT online or by calling Protect NWT at 8-1-1 on your 2^nd, 6^th, 10^th and 14^th days of self-isolation.
• Monitor your health for symptoms of COVID-19.
• Follow healthy respiratory practices
• Complete the online self-assessment to determine whether you should be arranging for a test if you begin feeling sick. If you need to be tested, contact the appropriate medical centre by phone and they will give you further instructions. Do not go in without speaking to them by phone first.