N.W.T. gov't to hold briefing on Yellowknife-area re-entry plan; send us your questions

The N.W.T. government says it will have elected officials and experts from several departments and organizations available to answer questions at 4 p.m. MT on the re-entry plan for Yellowknife, Ndilǫ and Dettah.

We'll livestream that news conference here, or you can tune in on CBC North Radio One.

On Friday, the City of Yellowknife announced on Facebook that the evacuation order for the city and surrounding area would lift this coming Wednesday, depending on weather, three weeks after the territory told everyone to leave due to an approaching wildfire. That wildfire is now considered to be held, meaning it isn't expected to grow under current conditions.

Most essential workers are expected to start returning home Monday and Tuesday.

N.W.T. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs Shane Thompson issued a statement shortly after the announcement, asking people to stay put until noon Wednesday. He also said Friday's announcement may "strain" Alberta's resources as thousands of residents drive through the northern part of the province.

Meanwhile, territorial medical director Dr. Claudia Kraft told CBC that for the first few days after re-entry, health services would be "quite limited." A statement from the N.W.T. Health and Social Services Authority said ICU, routine obstetrics, chemotherapy, dialysis and IV therapy would not be immediately available and it could take up to a month for full services to resume.

At the same time, the health authority issued a warning to people who choose not to return home after the evacuation order lifts due to concerns over a lack of health services. By doing so, they might not have any more support after re-entry flights end, the authority said.