Good afternoon.

It is now 53 days since our last case of COVID-19 was reported, and 40 since that last case was deemed recovered.

As the sun starts shining, with open waters in front of us, and some more freedom in our day-to-day lives, it’s tempting to get comfortable.

And everyone should be enjoying these new freedoms – spending time with their friendship circle, getting outside, or enjoying some of the businesses they’ve been missing over the last couple months.

But we can’t let up on our precautions – because COVID-19 is unforgiving, and a lot of risk still exists for us. And here’s why.

Over the last week, we had 332 people enter the territory from other jurisdictions.

With few exceptions, the places they returned from have active community spread, and cases continue to be reported daily in a number of provinces.

Each of these arrivals represents some risk to our territory. We will continue to have arrivals every week.

We cannot eliminate that risk, we can only reduce it.

And we know that without the rules to reduce the risk, things can change very quickly.

The way our cases unfolded is a good example of the difference these steps make.

Our first case returned before our orders on self-isolation were in-place. There were 70 contacts for investigation because the norm wasn’t yet established. And thankfully, all 17 tests from that investigation came back negative.

In short, we got lucky.        

But because strong self-isolation requirements were in-place when the others came back, contacts were extremely limited.

Without the rules, that could have turned out very differently – especially with a virus which can be spread before, or without, showing any symptoms.

Just one slip-up – an uncovered cough or sneeze; a quick trip to see a friend when you should be isolating; a party outside where distance isn’t maintained – can create a network of exposures, and quickly spread in our communities.

The fact there are still about 1000 new cases a day across Canada, and hundreds coming to the territory each week, we need to stay on our game, and stick to the gradual, phased plan for opening up.

That means keeping your distance – outdoors, indoors, in businesses, or while enjoying new activities. It means keeping outdoor gatherings small, your friendship circles smaller when you’re inside, and remembering that one day you could be asked to keep track of who you spent time with and where.

I would also like to encourage folks to think of this as a time of planning and preparation.

Because a second wave is coming. History tells us it will likely be at least as challenging as the first. And we will likely see more cases.

That means looking ahead so you have good supplies like hand sanitizer and soap, cleaning supplies, and equipment to protect staff and clients. Because supply-chains are going to stay strained, so planning is crucial to making sure you stay ready over the long-term.

And it means getting used to good habits like wearing non-medical masks in public.

You can make them at home, check out the where-to-buy guide on the GNWT’s COVID site to support local businesses, and get used to incorporating them into your trips. You can keep them in a plastic bag in your backpack or purse, and put them on when you’re heading to a spot where it’s going to be tough to keep distance.

I continue to stress this recommendation because we know it works to reduce spread when those who may not feel sick could be transmitting the virus.

There is consistency in evidence that wearing a non-medical mask can reduce the burden of respiratory viruses from the wearer to the recipient.

It works by stopping the respiratory droplets at the primary source – your mouth and nose.

That’s what it’s about -- protecting others, not necessarily yourself. But if you have a lot of people wearing non-medical masks, you have the effect of everyone protecting each other – which will make you safer.

It is no coincidence that in places like South Korea, where community spread did exist and they contained it, that you see images of city streets full of people wearing masks.

And until recently, this was done by recommendation and norm rather than by order – which now only extends to transit and air travel as we have now in Canada.

So my message to residents: enjoy our territory, and cherish the time you spend with your friends and family. But stay safe, and stick to the plan to emerge wisely together from these restrictions.

And keep up the good work – because practicing the right behaviours now can only help us continue rising to this challenge when the second wave comes.

Thank you.