The Department of Health and Social Services is inviting interested members of the public to apply to be a representative on the NWT Supported Living Review Advisory Group (SL Advisory Group).

The purpose of this group is to provide advice from lived experience to the Steering Committee during the NWT Supported Living Review. The SL Advisory Group will be comprised of 6 to 10 members who are appointed by the Deputy Minister of Health and Social Services. 

Check against delivery

Mr. Speaker, the COVID-19 pandemic has presented the Northwest Territories and its residents, communities and businesses with many challenges.

I know all residents are now well into the ‘COVID-19 fatigue’ stage. We all want to see things back to normal and public health measures lifted.

The Department of Health and Social Services (HSS) is asking individuals who have accessed the Community Counselling Program and Child and/or the Youth Care Counselling (CYCC) Program in the last six months for their views by completing the Northwest Territories (NWT) Community Counselling Program Questionnaire.

The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) announced today that it has made changes to  the eligibility criteria for Métis Health Benefits  to reduce barriers to access supplementary health insurance.

The Métis Health Benefits Policy first came into effect in 1995 and had not seen any substantial changes since then. The GNWT had heard concerns about the administrative practice for determining the ‘payor of last resort’ eligibility criteria.. 

Minister of Health and Social Services, Julie Green has extended the territory-wide Public Health Emergency under the Northwest Territories’ Public Health Act on the advice of Chief Public Health Officer (CPHO) Dr. Kami Kandola.

The latest extension continues through June 8, 2021. 

The Public Health Emergency is required to continue to decisively respond to shifts in the NWT’s own public health situation, and maintain preventative measures.

After a successful roll-out of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to residents aged 12-17 in Yellowknife, Ndılǫ, Dettah, and Behchokǫ̀,  the Government of the Northwest Territories is announcing the next round of school-based vaccine clinics, which will be led by the Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authorities (NTHSSA).  

Child and Family Services  (CFS) is continuing to make steady progress in transforming the Child and Family Services system to better meet the needs of children and youth. This commitment to change is in keeping with the recommendations of the Auditor General of Canada and aligned with the new Federal legislation on child and family services. Enabling families to care for children and youth in their community is a priority.

The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) in partnership with the NWT Association of Communities (NWTAC) is offering a funding opportunity to support Indigenous and community governments in the promotion of the COVID-19 vaccine at the local and regional levels.

This fund will provide a broader range of activities and actions to increase uptake of the vaccine across the Northwest Territories (NWT).

The Chief Public Health Officer (CPHO) is removing the temporary COVID-19 restrictions put in place for  school closures in Yellowknife, Ndilǫ̨, Dettah and Behchokǫ̀, Northwest Territories (NWT).  This order also included after-school and other extracurricular programs. This change is effective May 17, 2021.

The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) is announcing the expansion of its COVID-19 vaccine program to include the Pfizer-BioNTech product, which is approved for individuals 12 years of age and older.

To date, the NWT’s program has been solely based on the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, which is approved for those 18 years of age and older. After successful negotiations with the National Operation Centre (NOC) and provinces, the GNWT is exchanging future shipments of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for Pfizer-BioNTech to protect as many residents as possible from the virus.