Premier Caroline Cochrane issued the following statement on the confirmation of a second case of COVID-19 in the Northwest Territories today:

"I was saddened to hear that the Chief Public Health Officer had confirmed a second case of COVID-19 in the Northwest Territories today. My thoughts are with this person and their family and I wish them well as they deal with this infection. While we knew that it was only reasonable to expect more cases would be discovered in the Northwest Territories, this news still comes as a disappointment to many.

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Good morning

It is a pleasure to be here today, starting the week by talking to you about the second wave of funding and financial program changes that the Government of the Northwest Territories is rolling out to help support individuals, families, businesses and communities.

The last time we were here, when we discussed the roll out of the first wave of financial relief the GNWT put together in response to COVID 19, I said that we would continue to look for opportunities to be creative in the delivery of government services. 

The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) understands the physical distancing and isolation measures used to combat the spread of COVID-19 have created new and very real economic stress on Northwest Territories (NWT) residents, families, businesses, Indigenous governments, and communities. In response to this, Caroline Wawzonek, Minister of Finance, and Katrina Nokleby, Minister of Infrastructure and Industry, Tourism and Investment, are announcing additional support for people, businesses, and communities in response to COVID-19.

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Good Morning.

Over the past 2 weeks, the situation with COVID-19 has evolved at a pace that none of us could have predicted, and each day brings with it new challenges.

We all know that COVID-19 has very quickly had a significant impact on the Northwest Territories economy, and our government is committed to continuing to put supports in place to help businesses and individuals through this difficult time. 

Everyone is urged to Protect Our Elders in two new campaigns to combat the spread of COVID-19.

The Northwest Territories Association of Communities (NWTAC), Music NWT, and the GNWT have teamed up to run these campaigns.

Our goal is to build solidarity during the COVID-19 crisis, and get residents to recognize that changing behaviors isn’t just about them – it’s about the people they love, and our most vulnerable community-members.

Protect Our Elders: A Community Campaign To Stop The Spread Of COVID-19

Today, Premier Caroline Cochrane announced the appointment of Mr. Russ Neudorf as the Associate Deputy Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs (MACA). This appointment has been made to support the ongoing work of the department and in particular the operations of the Emergency Management Organization as it leads activities in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The attached is being released on behalf of Indigenous Services Canada and the Government of the Northwest Territories.

The GNWT’s online self-assessment tool for COVID-19 for residents has been completed nearly 2500 times after launching just days ago.

The tool will help assess any symptoms, travel history, and other variables to help you know what you should do to protect yourself and your community. You can complete it for yourself, or you can complete it for someone else. The tool collects no personal information.

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Good afternoon, thank you for joining us today.

This week, Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs Paulie Chinna exercised her authority under the Emergency Management Act and declared a state of emergency for the Northwest Territories.

I want to emphasize and reassure NWT residents that this step was not taken because the risk of COVID-19 to the NWT has increased or that the situation is worse than before. It is not.

Effective March 24, 2020, the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs (MACA), Paulie Chinna, declared a territory-wide  State of Emergency under the Emergency Management Act to support ongoing efforts to protect public health in the Northwest Territories.