Check against delivery 

Thank you Minister.

Let’s talk for a moment about what these orders actually mean, and how we’re going to implement them

The most important thing we all can to flatten the covid-19 curve is to practice physical distancing. This is something that Dr. Teresa Tam  CPHO for Canada has recommended for all Canadians.

Our order on gatherings will allow private gatherings outside of no more than 10 people Provided physical distancing of 6 feet apart canoccur.  This order restricts  indoor private gatherings to only people in your immediate household. That is those you live with.

Public gatherings are prohibited both indoors and outdoors

And if you’re on-the-land,  a tent or cabin is the same as your  house – no visitors from outside your household . However, you can go out on the land with others  – Just  keep six feet apart like you would at the grocery store or in public

These limitations are necessary  because any time you increase number of people you are in contact with  the virus can pass to others.

 We all need to keep our circles small to contain the spread.

I recognize this is going to be a huge adjustment for Northwest Territories residents who enjoy having friends over for dinner and parties.  

And it could put strain on relationships – where it may be difficult to stay physically apart for so long.

It is not lost on me that this will impact mental health. So what I encourage everyone to do is get creative. We’ve seen churches offering online sermons. We’re seeing people using Zoom or Google hangouts to have long chats with their friends. We’re seeing groups starting up on Facebook where people are having virtual kitchen parties to keep connected, and have some laughs. With the warmer weather and longer days-  go outdoors.

And if you need help, our health authorities are still delivering mental health services, so get in touch, and get help.

This order also mandates the closing of several kinds of businesses where proper social distancing is not possible because of the way they must operate.

These businesses are:

• Tourism Operators
• Bottle Depots;
• Gyms and fitness centers;
• Museums and art galleries;
• Bars and night clubs;
• Theatres and movie theatres;
• Dine-in portions of restaurants; and

Personal service establishments I will now go through some of the exceptions in this  order.

This order excludes workers and workplaces if you’re an essential service, or a sector supporting essential services – like healthcare workers, some government services, or daycares and day homes.

It excludes facilities offering health and social services support to at-risk communities, like sobering centres and shelters.

It excludes retailers like grocery stores, gas stations, banks, and pharmacies considered to be essential to the continued function of our territory.

It excludes liquor stores, because, in the short term,  withdrawal and non-consumable alcohol consumption  amongst those experiencing addiction endangers public health more than keeping them open will. 

Businesses not already mandated to close who are able to modify operations to ensure proper social distancing may also stay open, but they are not specifically excluded.

We reserve the right to revisit this, but I will say I’ve been impressed with the ingenuity of our business community’s response to COVID-19. Touchless methods of delivery, video and other ingenious methods have been great.

Our order on remote work camps largely strengthens  the good practices we already recommended weeks ago, and our worksites have generally complied with already.

We are putting legal force behind them now as we understand the anxieties of our residents, and now have the enforcement capacity to address them.

These measures include things like:

• mandating health screenings before each shift and before coming to site;
• immediate self-isolation onsite if showing symptoms;
• not allowing those who have symptoms to work;
• social distancing measures on-and-off-rotation;
• and ending buffet-style catering.

We have also made it mandatory to keep risk assessments on every employee, and allow for them to be inspected by WSCC when required.

I would like to thank everyone in our territory who has followed our recommendations over the past month. I encourage everyone to keep doing   all that you can to flatten the Covid-19 curve.  

And I would like to commit to NWT residents that we will be working around-the-clock to make sure these orders work, and our communities are protected.

Thank you.