'COVID-19 safety net' campaign launched, exposure notice issued for Yellowknife school
CBC
In a news release Wednesday evening, N.W.T. health officials said there had been a COVID-19 public exposure at Mildred Hall School in Yellowknife related to two individuals who tested positive for COVID-19.
It said letters have already been sent to all parents and guardians of any child in affected classrooms, and they should follow the advice spelled out in the letter.
It added that if parents or guardians hadn't received a letter, it meant their child's class was not affected and should continue going to school.
It also said everyone at the school should monitor for symptoms of COVD-19 and isolate if any develop.
Wondering if you should travel this holiday season? In the N.W.T., there's a quiz for that.
The N.W.T. government launched a campaign in which it posted a series of quizzes on its COVID-19 website Wednesday.
Three of the quizzes assess a user's level of risk of getting and spreading COVID-19 as they travel, gather and do other activities, while the other two quizzes test knowledge of vaccines and healthy habits.
"We do know that at some point in the future, we will have to adjust to a time when individuals take responsibility for reducing their own personal risk, when public health restrictions are lifted," Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Kami Kandola said during a news conference Wednesday.
She quickly added that there is no timeline for lifting the territory's public health emergency, and that "masking, gathering and isolation restrictions will not be going away this winter."
She said the quizzes emphasize the kinds of things people need to continue to keep in mind as they continue to assess the risk of COVID-19 in what they do every day, as the pandemic evolves.
She said the timing of the campaign has everything to do with the coming holiday season.
"Over the holidays, there's generally more travel, social gatherings and more time spent indoors throughout the winter, all prime for COVID-19 transmission," she said.
She said the quizzes help people develop the mindset to constantly assess the COVID-19 risk in everything they do.
The Yellowknife clinic where 5- to 11-year-olds can get vaccinated is busy, according to Dr. AnneMarie Pegg, the N.W.T. territorial medical director.