Yellowknife — May 27, 2020
With a reduction in test volume, the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) is pausing weekend updates on COVID-19 testing.
Tests normally reported on Saturdays, Sundays, and statutory holidays will now be reported on Monday, or the day after the statutory holiday falls.
This does not mean monitoring will pause. Any positive test would spur an immediate phone contact with on-call staff, patient notification, contact tracing, and public updates as normal. Testing data would also be updated appropriately at this time. The change is simply on the task of data reconciliation.
If testing numbers rise considerably once again, test updates will resume on a seven days-a-week schedule.
The decision was made to preserve staff capacity while volume is low to continue to address more urgent public health tasks which will arise throughout this pandemic.
Test numbers will still be updated every regular work day.
For more information
Cabinet Communications
Government of the Northwest Territories