The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) is committed to building strong and collaborative partnerships across all levels of government.

The swift resolution to the recent cluster of COVID-19 cases in Fort Liard demonstrates how powerful those partnerships can be.

All partners in last month’s pandemic response worked together to quickly and effectively implement the orders of the territory’s Chief Public Health Officer (CPHO) to help avert what could have become a widespread outbreak of COVID-19.

Check against delivery

Mr. Speaker, today I am going to provide an update on COVID-19 vaccine rollout in the Northwest Territories.

As Members are aware, the NWT started delivering the COVID-19 vaccine to priority residents on December 31, 2020. Rollout began only a week after Health Canada approved the use of the Moderna vaccine in Canada, and only three days after the territory received its first shipment.

Minister of Health and Social Services, Julie Green issued the following statement today:

“Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) has been faced with finding unique ways to deal with the challenges presented to us. Most recently, our government has been tasked with finding creative ways to ensure the deliveries of COVID-19 vaccines are administered safely to Northwest Territories (NWT) residents in some of Canada’s most remote Northern communities.

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 February 16, 2021. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated considerably across Canada in recent weeks as the country’s caseload surged to its highest point in the pandemic.

A two-day virtual Anti-Poverty Roundtable wrapped up on January 27 with a commitment by members to increase food security in the Northwest Territories (NWT) with  locally produced, harvested and affordable food – a commitment outlined in the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) mandate.

As part of its commitment to building a health system where cultural safety and relationship-based care is at the heart of everything it does, the Government of the Northwest Territories, led by the Department of Health and Social Services released Health Care for Transgender, Non-Binary, and Gender Nonconforming People: Guidelines for the NWT. This document has been developed for use by health care providers.

The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) and CKLB Radio are teaming up on a campaign called ‘Dear Fort Liard’.

This campaign is about people across the territory offering support to friends and family in the community of Fort Liard who have been faced with challenges as they work together to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

Until at least January 30, 2021, the gate on Highway 7 near Fort Liard will be operated by appointment only between 10am-2pm on Tuesdays and Fridays.

The gate will not be staffed on Tuesdays or Fridays except to accommodate these appointments.  

This change is being made in an effort to free up local resources for the COVID-19 response in Fort Liard.

Good morning and thank you, Premier Cochrane.

I would like to begin today’s briefing by thanking all of our frontline staff who are working to deliver the COVID-19 vaccine to our residents and to provide COVID-19 testing in each of our communities. The hours are long and the job is difficult, and I applaud everyone who is a part of it.

Before I provide an update on vaccine delivery, I would like to speak to the Report on Social Indicators: COVID-19 Pandemic that was released yesterday.

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 February 2, 2021. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated considerably across Canada in recent weeks as the country’s caseload surged to its highest point in the pandemic.