Check against delivery 

Good afternoon.

As the spread of COVID-19 crossed our nation and touched our communities, our message has always been that our public health measures will get stronger before they let up.

And with the leadership of our Chief Public Health Officer, we have moved forward with some of the most aggressive policies in the country.

We closed our boundaries before almost anyone else.

We mandated isolation near hospitals to protect our remote communities.

We test those without connections to travel.

First of all I want to recognize what you all already know, that all Northwest Territories businesses are making difficult decisions as they implement what is being asked of them to limit the spread of COVID-19 across our territory.

The Government of the Northwest Territories recognize this.  

We acknowledge that it is happening at a cost to business owners and entrepreneurs in the North; and we will continue to seek out, identify, and facilitate ways to support your efforts and address these challenges.

The Department of Industry, Tourism, and Investment (ITI) is postponing the opening of Northwest Territories parks.  An opening date for the 2020 park season has not been confirmed at this time.

The decision supports territory-wide efforts to contain the spread of the COVID-19 virus in the Northwest Territories.  It follows examples set by Parks Canada and other jurisdictions.

The Government of the Northwest Territories’ online reservation system will also remain closed until further notice.

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YELLOWKNIFE (April 10, 2020) – NWT Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Kami Kandola today took action to protect NWT residents with two new binding public health Orders.

The announcement comes after forming a new Compliance and Enforcement Taskforce to track down and investigate complaints about those not following the rules of the Public Health Act or public health Orders.

Order on Mines and Oil and Gas Remote Camps to Protect Against the COVID-19 Pandemic

Minister Nokleby issued the following media statement today concerning a letter of appeal submitted by the Northwest Territories and Nunavut Chamber of Mines and Yukon Chamber of Mines to the Government of Canada to support the mineral development and exploration industry across the North: 

Minister of Finance, Caroline Wawzonek, today outlined the Government of the Northwest Territories’ (GNWT’s) position on the sale and availability of liquor during the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Thank you for tuning in today.

There has been much discussion around access to liquor stores and liquor products during COVID 19. I want to say to residents that the GNWT has no intention of closing liquor stores during the COVID-19 pandemic.  We have weighed the pros and cons, looked to the experience of jurisdictions across Canada and heard many different voices on this issue and have decided that removing all lawful access to alcohol would simply do more harm than good. 

Good afternoon.

As the Premier said, these are unprecedented times.

We put a name on it three weeks ago when we called a Public Health Emergency.

In declaring this emergency, we empowered the Northwest Territories Chief Public Health Officer to take the necessary extraordinary steps to meet this challenge, and protect our territory.

We’ve restricted entry in our territory, mandated self-isolation for residents returning to the NWT, and moved aggressively to educate people on behaviors they should practice and why we all must be in this together.

Good Afternoon.

Today we’re here to talk to media and residents about how the Government of the Northwest Territories will enforce orders made by the Chief Public Health Officer to protect NWT residents and communities.

For weeks now, responding to the impacts of COVID-19 has been the top priority for government officials all across this country and across the world.

COVID-19 is a global pandemic, a public health emergency that needs to be taken seriously.  In the Northwest Territories, we are taking this very seriously, and our decisions reflect that.

Unprecedented times are being met with unprecedented measures as the Northwest Territories responds to COVID-19.

Premier Cochrane, Minister Thom, and NWT Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Kami Kandola today announced the formation of the NWT Compliance and Enforcement Taskforce with the mandate to strengthen the territory’s public health enforcement actions to protect the public health of all NWT residents.