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.

Issued June 4, 2020.

The Premier has no events scheduled for today

All meetings and events subject to change.

For Ministerial Media Requests, Contact:

Cabinet Communications

Government of the Northwest Territories

presssecretary@gov.nt.ca

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

Mr. Speaker, we recognize that supporting vulnerable residents in need of housing or at risk of homelessness across the Northwest Territories is an essential part of the overall response to the COVID-19 Pandemic.  The Northwest Territories Housing Corporation has been working to ensure that we meet the needs of our residents during this difficult and challenging time.

Mr. Speaker, I know that renewing our government’s relationship with Indigenous governments is important to all Members. That is why the 19^th Legislative Assembly has established settling and implementing treaty, land, resources and self-government agreements as one of its priorities. We have also made it a priority to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People.  

On June 5^th each year, we commemorate Inuvialuit Day to celebrate the signing of the Inuvialuit Final Agreement in 1984.

Northwest Territories (NWT) Education Leaders met via teleconference with Education, Culture and Employment (ECE) Minister R.J. Simpson and the NWT Teachers’ Association (NWTTA) on June 3, 2020 to discuss priorities and planning for the upcoming 2020-2021 school year.

Issued June 3, 2020.

Public Events and Meetings

The Premier will participate in the sitting of the Legislative Assembly

Closed Events and Meetings

The following events are closed to the media

The Premier will chair a Cabinet House Strategy meeting

The Premier will chair a meeting of Cabinet

The Premier will participate in a meeting of Canada’s Premiers

The Premier will participate in a First Ministers Meeting

Internal meetings.

All meetings and events subject to change.

The Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment (ITI) has  waived tourism insurance requirements and licensing fees for the 2020-21 seasons as another element of short term relief for tourism operators.

Under the Tourism Act, all tourism operators providing tourism services in the NWT are required to have a valid Tourism Operator Licence (TOL) with prescribed support documents including proof of insurance.

Effective June 8^th, 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.