N.W.T. officials to provide COVID-19 update
CBC
As cases of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 soar across the country, health officials will provide an update on the situation in the N.W.T.
Premier Caroline Cochrane will be joined by Health Minister Julie Green, Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Kami Kandola, and Dr. AnneMarie Pegg, the territory's medical director.
Watch it live here, on CBC North's Facebook page or tune in to CBC North Radio One.
The number of cases has been growing across the territory recently.
On Dec. 31, health officials reported 160 active COVID-19 cases in the territory, compared to 26 on Dec. 23.
Of those active cases, there were 132 in Yellowknife, four in the Beaufort Delta region, three in the Dehcho region, eight in Fort Smith, One in Hay River, two in the Sahtu region and 10 in the Tłı̨chǫ region.
Just before Christmas, Kandola said most of the then-26 cases in the territory came from people travelling into the territory.
"Because of the areas that people are coming from, and the type of symptoms, and how rapid it's transmitted among their contacts, I would say it's likely [the] Omicron [variant]," Kandola said at the time.
The Omicron variant spreads much more easily and rapidly than previous variants of COVID-19. Cases are surging across the country. Provincial and territorial governments are implementing new restrictions in an effort to limit the spread of the disease so it doesn't overwhelm the health care system.
In the N.W.T., officials postponed the return to school to Jan. 10, and have said that people who are less likely to become seriously ill from COVID-19 need to report to ProtectNWT if they have tested positive for COVID-19 with a rapid antigen test. They are also no longer required to have the test result confirmed with a lab test.
"Testing centres must prioritize laboratory resources to concentrate on highest-risk individuals and will no longer confirm most at-home positive tests," read a media release issued by the N.W.T. territorial government on Dec. 31.
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