Yellowknife — June 3, 2020
Effective June 8th, 2020, Northwest Territories residents must bring their own non-medical masks to their flights in order to comply with Transport Canada regulations.
Supplies of masks provided to airlines operating out of Yellowknife by the Department of Health and Social Services as a courtesy will soon be depleted.
The requirement to provide your own non-medical mask is consistent with practices in other destinations across Canada.
Passengers will not be allowed to board their flight without demonstrating that their non-medical face mask will adequately cover their mouths and noses for the duration of their flight with durable material like cotton.
This is also consistent with broader public health recommendations.
Dr. Kami Kandola, the NWT’s Chief Public Health Officer, strongly recommends non-medical masks for use in public places – especially those where maintaining physical distance of two metres is difficult.
While a non-medical face mask does not protect the wearer in the same way a medical mask would, it does prevent your respiratory droplets from contaminating other people or landing on surfaces.
An inventory of non-medical face mask manufacturers across the territory has been established for those wishing to purchase them. If you prefer to make them at home, they can be made with common materials and with-or-without sewing. Here are some tips on how.
For more information on the requirements, contact your travel provider.
For media requests, please contact:
Mike Westwick
Manager, Communications (COVID-19 Response)
Health and Social Services
(867) 767-9052 ext. 49037