YELLOWKNIFE September 8, 2021 – After the Public Health Advisory (PHA) went out this afternoon the Office of the Chief Public Health Officer (OCPHO) was notified of an additional 11 people with probable or confirmed COVID-19 in the community of Behchokǫ̀. The total number of probable or confirmed active COVID-19 in the community is currently 12, located in multiple households with no clear chain of transmission.
The rapid increase in the number of infections along with the absence of a clear chain of transmission indicates that Behchokǫ̀ is in the early stages of community transmission.
In efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19 the Chief Public Health Officer (CPHO) will amend the gathering order issued on September 8, 2021 to exclude Behchokǫ̀. The CPHO will issue a 14 day containment order that will go into effect September 9 at 8:00AM. The order will require the closure of non-essential businesses and transitioning to remote learning for schools in Behchoko. Additional restrictions will be placed on indoor or outdoor gatherings to include only household members. Essential services will remain open with limitations in place.
Non-essential travel in and out of Behchokǫ̀ is not recommended at this time. Masking in indoor public spaces is mandatory. Anyone experiencing any symptoms of COVID should isolate and call the health centre for additional guidance.
Full details on the order will be released as soon as possible and will be available on the GNWT COVID-19 website under the Current Public Health Orders: https://www.gov.nt.ca/covid-19/en/current-public-health-orders.
The OCPHO is working closely with the Tłı̨chǫ Government, the Tłı̨chǫ Community Services Agency (TCSA) and the COVID Secretariat on the response to the increased COVID-19 activity.
Essential workers in Behchokǫ̀ should follow all public health measures currently in place as they continue attending work. Non-essential workers and other residents should plan on not attending work or in-person schooling from September 9, 2021 and continuing onward for 14 days.
The CPHO would like to remind all residents that the most important thing they can do to protect themselves from severe outcomes from COVID-19 is to get vaccinated. All residents 12 years of age and older who have not yet received two doses of the vaccination should make arrangements to get fully vaccinated.
Attribution
All commentary is attributable to Dr. Kami Kandola, Chief Public Health Officer for the Northwest Territories.
Relevant links
- NWT COVID-19 Dashboard(link is external)
- GNWT Daily COVID-19 Symptom Check
- Travel Hotspots
- Delta Variant FAQs
- GNWT COVID-19 website
- Vaccination Bookings(link is external)
Media Contact
Richard Makohoniuk
Manager, COVID Communications
COVID-19 Coordinating Secretariat
Department of Health and Social Services
Government of the Northwest Territories
[email protected]
