Media are invited to a media briefing on Covid-19 in the Northwest Territories.
Dr. Kami Kandola, Chief Public Health Officer will provide a statement and be available for questions. Also available for questions will include:
Mr. Speaker, I would like to provide Members and the public with an update on NWT efforts in containing the spread of COVID-19 and assure everyone that their health and safety is the number one priority of our government.
Currently, we have zero confirmed cases in the Northwest Territories. Our Chief Public Health Officer remains confident our residents are currently at a low risk of infection. We also know that world-wide, roughly 80 percent of people infected get only mild symptoms.
The top priority for the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) is the health and safety of Northwest Territories (NWT) residents, and we are taking proactive measure to be prepared to respond to COVID-19 as the situation evolves.
There are currently no cases of COVID-19 in the NWT, and the risk of acquiring the virus in the NWT and Canada remains low at this time.
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Good afternoon. We all know in the coming weeks that there will be new challenges presented here in the Northwest Territories, both for our residents and for the health care system. I want to assure you that we are prepared, and are continuing to prepare.
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Good afternoon, I’m here to talk to the residents of the Northwest Territories about COVID-19.
Earlier today I was absent in the house, and session, to participate on a call from 11 o’clock to 1 o’clock with the Prime Minister and all Premiers across Canada. All Premiers are concerned about COVID-19, and we are all taking precautionary measures to limit the spread and associated impacts throughout Canada.
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Mr. Speaker, good oral health is important to our overall health and quality of life. Healthy mouths and teeth in children promote healthy growth, nutrition, speech development, good school performance and social well-being.
Cavities, however, are the most common chronic infectious childhood disease, and they place a substantial burden on our population. Poor oral health contributes to a child’s inability to eat, speak, sleep and learn. In adults, oral disease has been linked to diabetes, heart disease, pneumonia and Alzheimer’s.
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Mr. Speaker, we all want better health for our families and communities. The choices we make are important for our overall health and well-being. By eating good food, being physically active, reducing the amount of alcohol we drink, living tobacco free, and making healthy choices, we can help reduce the risk of getting chronic diseases like cancer.
In collaboration with the Department of Health and Social Services, Tlicho Community Service Agency and Hay River Health and Social Services Authority, the Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority (NTHSSA) is piloting a two-year caregiver program that will provide additional supports around the home and community to elders, seniors, and persons with disabilities who have ongoing care or support needs.
Mr. Speaker, every year, one in five Canadians experience a mental health challenge or illness. Young people aged 15 to 24 are more likely to experience a mental illness or substance use disorder than any other age group. Research also shows that 70 percent of mental health challenges begin during childhood or adolescence. These numbers are higher in the NWT with the impacts of intergenerational trauma and the legacies of colonization and residential schools.
