Minister Archie issued the following statement today following a Public Health Advisory (PHA) from the Office of the Chief Public Health Officer (OCPHO) about a confirmed case of COVID-19 in Inuvik, and possible exposure:

“Whenever there is a confirmed case of COVID-19 in the Northwest Territories (NWT) or a public health risk, a Public Health Advisory (PHA) is issued from the OCPHO to inform residents. Yesterday, one of these PHA’s was issued that confirmed a new case of COVID-19 in Inuvik related to out-of-territory travel. It also identified potential public exposure during a flight to Inuvik.

“Unfortunately I was on that flight and was seated in one of the affected rows, meaning I was potentially exposed to COVID-19. As soon as I was aware of this I started self-isolating.

“In less than 24 hours after receiving the PHA and being notified of the potential exposure, I was in contact with Public Health, was tested for COVID-19, and have already received results from my first test that I tested negative. I will be tested again Thursday morning to confirm the results. I have also been told that there is no chance of transmission to anyone I may have been in contact with since returning to Inuvik, this past weekend. 

“It is an uneasy feeling being told I may have been exposed to COVID-19 and that the virus is in Inuvik, but I take comfort in the fact that the public health orders that are in place have been working for over a year. I am confident that if we all continue to follow the public health measures we can help decrease the spread of the virus across our territory, and eventually get back to doing the things we love.

“I also take comfort in the fact that though we still have a ways to go in getting our NWT population vaccinated, that there are over 20,000 people across the NWT who have already received both doses and are fully immunized. I am fortunate to be among that population and encourage all NWT residents who have yet to receive their vaccine to do so.

“Though I received a negative test result, I am not out of the woods yet. I will continue to do my part to keep my family, friends and community safe and will follow all instructions from Public Health.

“I want to thank everyone in advance for their concern. Let’s all continue to look after each other and please be kind to one another. And remember, if you haven’t received your vaccine - it’s not too late. Visit https://www.nthssa.ca/en/services/coronavirus-disease-covid-19-updates/covid-vaccine for information on how to book your appointment.”