Good morning and thank you for being here this morning for our regular bi-weekly COVID-19 update.

With me here today are Health and Social Services Minister Julie Green and Chief Public Health Officer for the Northwest Territories, Dr. Kami Kandola.

I want to start off with updates on the situation in Fort Liard. Over the weekend it was announced that there were three confirmed cases of COVID-19, with the likelihood of more to come. In an effort to limit the spread of the virus, the Chief Public Health Officer issued a 14-day containment order for the community. The GNWT is working closely with community leadership and will be supporting all efforts to contain the spread of the virus.  We have heard that there are concerns within the community about being able to get the information they need, in the languages they need, to ensure they are well-informed and able to make appropriate decisions. I have been in regular contact with local leadership to make sure the GNWT is supporting them how they need during this time. The community of Fort Liard is in good hands – their leadership is working night and day for residents.

If you are looking for general information on COVID-19, its symptoms, the current status of COVID-19, or rules and recommendations for folks in the NWT, first visit www.gov.nt.ca/covid-19. If you prefer phone, or you’re having trouble finding information, please call 8-1-1. If you need to arrange for COVID-19 testing, you’re not feeling well, or you’ve been contacted as a result of a potential exposure, contact the local health centre. There will be daily updates on the containment order that will be provided to radio stations, including the local community station, so please tune in for those updates regularly.

As you are aware, the NWT vaccination plan is rolling out across the NWT. We have come a long way since March last year when the pandemic created stress and uncertainty for many of us as to what the future would hold. It has been a challenging road to get to this point, but we are making significant progress in protecting residents and communities from COVID-19. We are moving in a direction where we will be able to further limit the spread of the virus and reduce the potential risk of significant impacts to our health care system. When my time comes to get the vaccine, I will book my appointment like other residents are being asked to and look forward to contributing to the solution that will allow us to move forward.

The NWT business community is an important part of our territorial economy, and I want to thank the those who have been doing their part to protect residents, and ensure we are able to keep our case numbers low. We know the restrictions in place have had a significant impact on the small business community, particularly in the tourism and hospitality sectors. And while it has been difficult, I am encouraged by the innovation and resiliency of business owners who have found ways to continue to deliver good and services that our residents rely on. The health and well-being of all communities and residents is best served by maintaining a stable economic environment. This will be achieved with continued strong public health response, enhanced pandemic services delivered by the COVID-19 Coordinating Secretariat, and the collective efforts of the private sector to adapt and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.

As the vaccine roll out progresses, many want to know when public health restrictions will open up, and travel restrictions will be lessened. We haven’t made it this far on luck – we have listened to our health care professionals and have made decisions based on scientific evidence. Because of this, we have been spared the crushing cases and lockdowns in place elsewhere in Canada and around the world. I wish I could say with certainty when things will begin to open up – but we need residents and businesses to hang on a little longer. The light at the end of the tunnel is near, but many of the risk factors are beyond our control, and we need to remain vigilant.

ProtectNWT and 811 provide access for the public to critical services in our response to COVID, including self-isolation plans, exemption requests, and public health information. It is important for public health that these services provide consistent and clear communications in a timely manner. As you may be aware, ProtectNWT and 811 were experiencing some issues with their phone system recently. I can tell you now that there are currently no issues with the system, but I encourage residents to let the COVID-19 Secretariat know of any issues you may encounter. We care committed to delivery high-quality service, so please let us know if you encounter any challenges when calling.

When the pandemic began, we moved quickly to stand up pandemic services that would protect our residents, like isolation centres. When the COVID-19 Coordinating Secretariat was established last Fall, we committed to finding ways to better reduce our costs for the pandemic services. Understanding that there were economic opportunities that could benefit northern businesses, the Secretariat issued a public request for tenders in December for isolation centre services in the four hub communities. I’m happy to report that a total of 76 standing offer agreements have been reached with Northern businesses to provide accommodations, meals, alternate accommodations like bed and breakfasts, catering, security, and transportation services.  By having several accommodations options and we are better able to meet the various needs of those accessing our services. This has, in some cases, allowed a greater number of northern businesses to benefit from COVID Secretariat isolation centre opportunities in each of the hub communities.

Last week, we announced Statistics Canada is working in partnership with the GNWT to conduct symptom checks. The completion of mandatory symptom checks is a requirement of the NWT Public Health Orders and part of approved Self-Isolation Plans. If you have travelled out of the NWT, you are required to complete symptom checks on Days 2, 6, 10 and 14 after you entered the NWT. By completing regular symptom checks, the risk of transmitting COVID-19 is decreased. Statistics Canada staff are now working with ProtectNWT staff by completing over-the-phone symptom checks with people self-isolating in the NWT. Statistics Canada is utilizing staff from their Western Canada region, which includes representatives from British Columbia and Alberta, who are trained to make calls and conduct surveys to Northerners. So, if you are wondering why someone is calling from a different area code and asking you questions about symptoms during isolation, this is the reason why. Statistics Canada representatives are collecting this on behalf of the GNWT and your information remains confidential. 

I want to again thank everyone for doing their part to continue protecting our communities for COVID-19. I’d now like to turn it over to Minister Green to provide her remarks. Thank you.