Mr. Speaker, COVID-19 has affected all areas of social and economic activity in the Northwest Territories and around the world. As the pandemic has evolved and jurisdictions have been able to manage its spread, all governments are looking at the public health measures that have been put in place and are continuing to adjust them.
Caroline Cochrane, Premier of the Northwest Territories, Diane Thom, Minister of Health and Social Services, and Dr. Kami Kandola, Chief Public Health Officer issued the following joint statement today to clarify the existing Public Health Order – COVID-19 Travel Restrictions and Self-Isolation Protocol:
“Travel restrictions are a legitimate and necessary measure implemented by the Chief Public Health Officer (CPHO) to help slow the spread of COVID-19 and mitigate its impact on Northwest Territories (NWT) residents, communities and the health care system.
The territory-wide Public Health Emergency and State of Emergency have been extended in the Northwest Territories. Both extensions will take effect as of June 10, 2020 and expire on June 23, 2020.
Minister of Health and Social Services Diane Thom extended the territory-wide Public Health Emergency under the Northwest Territories’ Public Health Act on the recommendation of Chief Public Health Officer Kami Kandola.
As the rapid testing conversation heats up, the territory’s public health and frontline leadership are laying the territory’s testing strategy on-the-table in terms everyone can understand.
The two-page document covers topics on everyone’s mind like mass-testing, rapid testing, and asymptomatic testing – providing a rationale for the territory’s decisions on each.
Testing is the foundation of good pandemic response – allowing health professionals to identify, trace, and isolate cases and contacts to minimize community risk.
Effective today (June 5, 2020), a checkpoint will resume at the Northwest Territories - Alberta border at Fort Smith as part of the Government of the Northwest Territories COVID-19 response.
Public Health Officers will be present to monitor those persons entering at the border for travel within the Northwest Territories.
This is in response to concerns related to increased summer traffic.
The Government of the Northwest Territories advises that Highway 8 (The Dempster Highway) is scheduled to re-open on June 6, subject to river and weather conditions.
While Highway 8 will be open from kilometre 1 to 272, the Yukon/Northwest Territories border will remain closed to all traffic except for:
·Maintenance Vehicles
·Emergency Vehicles
·Supply Chain Vehicles
·Residents with an approved social isolation plan in place
·Persons with approved exemption from Protect NWT
Effective June 8th, 2020, Northwest Territories residents must bring their own non-medical masks to their flights in order to comply with Transport Canada regulations.
Supplies of masks provided to airlines operating out of Yellowknife by the Department of Health and Social Services as a courtesy will soon be depleted.
The Minister of Health and Social Services announced today that the Northwest Territories Health and Social Service Authority (NTHSSA), the Hay River Health and Social Services Authority (HRHSSA) and the Tlicho Community Services Agency (TCSA) all received accreditation status from Accreditation Canada.
System accreditation is an important and major milestone for our health and social services system. It signals that our system meets fundamental national standards of practice, policies and programs.
A strong local supply-chain for critical Personal Protective Equipment has been secured for businesses and care providers.
NWT Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Kami Kandola has authorized two Northwest Territories manufacturers to create reusable face shields meeting Health Canada specifications for use in public settings in the NWT.
Poison Graphics of Hay River and ArTech Engrave of Yellowknife each submitted rigorous proposals and specifications which were evaluated and accepted by Dr. Kandola and her public health staff.
Check Against Delivery
Mr. Speaker, earlier I spoke about our public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Today I would like to highlight how our health and social services system is responding to this unprecedented challenge.
