N.W.T. officials to give COVID-19 update

Northwest Territories officials will be giving an update on the COVID-19 situation in the territory Wednesday at 2 p.m.

Premier Caroline Cochrane, Health Minister Julie Green, Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Kami Kandola will be part of the update, along with Scott Robertson, the executive director of clinical integration, and Shannon Barnett-Aikman, the assistant deputy minister of education and culture.

Watch it live here, on CBC North's Facebook page or tune in to CBC North Radio One. 

The number of COVID-19 cases in the territory has been decreasing steadily since it hit a peak of 460 on Oct. 7. As of Tuesday, there are 238 cases across the territory.

However, cases in Hay River and K'atl'odeeche First Nation have increased steadily this month and now stand at 24, compared to two on Oct. 4.

The situation prompted Kandola to issue new public health orders Tuesday in both communities. She issued gathering limits in Hay River and a containment order in K'atl'odeeche First Nation.

Cases have been declining in the Yellowknife area, including Dettah and Ndilǫ, and in Behchokǫ̀. The communities have accounted, at different times, for as many as 90 per cent of the cases in the territory during the recent outbreak.

Schools have been closed in Yellowknife, Dettah and Ndilǫ since Sept. 13 and strict gathering restrictions are in place, limiting indoor gatherings to 10 people and outdoor gatherings to 25. In Behchokǫ̀, a containment order restricting travel to and from the community remains in place, and schools are closed.

The public health orders for those four communities are scheduled to end on Oct. 22.

Kandola said if cases continue to decline, she anticipates issuing a territory-wide public health order outlining how the vaccine passport program the territory announced last week can be used by non-essential businesses and organizations to increase their capacity.

She said she would also allow schools to reopen on Oct. 25.

The territorial government also recently launched a voluntary at-home COVID-19 screening program for students aged 5 to 11. The program will be available in 12 schools in Yellowknife, Hay River, Behchokǫ̀, Inuvik, Ndilǫ and Dettah.

Since the start of the pandemic, 58 N.W.T. COVID-19 patients have been hospitalized. Of those, 54 are associated with the current delta variant outbreak. Nineteen people have been treated in the ICU and nine have died.