COVID-19 pandemic in the Northwest Territories

The COVID-19 pandemic in the Northwest Territories is part of an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), an infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). As of February 23, 2022, there have been 8,495 confirmed cases in Northwest Territories with 7,999 recoveries and 19 deaths.

COVID-19 pandemic in the Northwest Territories
Border Checkpoint on the Dempster Highway
Disease	COVID-19
Virus strain	SARS-CoV-2
Location	Northwest Territories, Canada
First outbreak	Wuhan, Hubei, China
Index case	Yellowknife
Arrival date	March 21, 2020 (4 years, 1 month, 1 week and 3 days)
Date	April 20, 2022
Confirmed cases	10,779
Active cases	55
Hospitalized cases	0
Recovered	10,702
Deaths	22
Fatality rate	0.2%
Government website
NWT Government

On March 21, 2020, the Northwest Territories reported its first case of COVID-19; the individual had travelled to British Columbia and Alberta before returning home to Yellowknife.^[1]

Timeline

2020

The Northwest Territories declared a state of emergency on March 18.^[2][3] On March 21, the territory reported its first case of COVID-19; the individual had travelled to British Columbia and Alberta before returning home to Yellowknife.^[4]

By May 8, the Northwest Territories has banned all non-resident travellers into the Northwest Territories.^[5] All residents travelling into the Northwest Territories are required to self-isolate in Yellowknife, Inuvik, Hay River, or Fort Smith for at least 14 days.^[6]

On October 20, one resident from Inuvik was tested positive.^[7] The next day, two residents in Yellowknife were tested positive for the virus. The total confirmed cases in the territory raised to eight.^[8]

On October 24, it was reported that a Yellowknife resident working at the Gahcho Kue Diamond Mine tested positive for COVID-19.^[9] The total confirmed cases in the territory raised to nine.^[10]

The first vaccine, of Moderna type, was administered in Yellowknife on December 31, 2020.^[11]

2021

Beginning on May 4, 2021, Northwest Territories expanded its vaccine eligibility to 12 years and up.^[12]

On June 9, 2021, the government announced reopening depending on vaccination rates with restrictions removed in the fall.^[13][14] Mask requirements were lifted on June 28, 2021, for multiple cities.^[15]

Chief Justice Louise Charbonneau said the judiciary could consider dismissing some charges due to 66 cases in a "massive" backlog of jury trials.^[16]

A major outbreak occurred in mid to late August in the Sahtu Region after a hand games tournament in Fort Good Hope in early August. Canadian Red Cross and the Canadian Rangers were sent to help these communities.^[17] The territory had its first COVID-19 fatality from this outbreak.^[18] The territory is experiencing ongoing surge of cases.^{[citation needed]}

The territory has been dealing with an Omicron-driven surge in cases since late-December 2021. A record-high active caseload of 527 was reported on January 6, 2022.^{[citation needed]}

References

1. "First case of COVID-19 reported in Northwest Territories". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. March 21, 2020. from the original on March 22, 2020. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
2. Williams, Ollie (March 18, 2020). "NWT declares public health emergency over coronavirus". Cabin Radio. Retrieved March 20, 2020.
3. "Information on JK-12 Schools". ece.gov.nt. Education, Culture and Employment - Government of Northwest Territories. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
4. "First case of COVID-19 reported in Northwest Territories". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. March 21, 2020.
5. "Travel + Moving Around". Retrieved May 13, 2020.
6. "Travellers arriving in the NWT". Retrieved May 13, 2020.
7. "Inuvik resident confirmed positive for COVID-19". CBC News. October 20, 2020.
8. "Presumptive positive case of COVID-19 at N.W.T. mine was false alarm, officials say". CBC News. October 21, 2020.
9. "Positive COVID-19 test confirmed in worker at N.W.T. mine, three more workers awaiting tests". CBC News. October 24, 2020.
10. "Live Tracking of COVID-19 in the NWT". Retrieved October 24, 2020.
11. "N.W.T. starts administering COVID-19 vaccines". CBC News. December 31, 2020.
12. "'Making history': 1st N.W.T. teen gets COVID-19 vaccine". CBC News. May 6, 2021. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
13. . Kamloops This Week. June 9, 2021. Archived from the original on August 19, 2021. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
14. CBC News (June 9, 2021). "N.W.T. reopening begins today, all restrictions could be lifted by late fall". CBC. from the original on June 9, 2021. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
15. "Mask mandate in Yellowknife, Ndilo, Dettah and Behchokǫ̀ set to lift Monday". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. June 24, 2021. from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
16. "Huge backlog of jury trials in N.W.T. due to COVID-19". CBC News. June 18, 2021. from the original on June 18, 2021. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
17. "Canadian Rangers and Canadian Red Cross to help N.W.T. amid surge of COVID-19 cases". CBC News. August 21, 2021.
18. Desmarais, Anna (August 25, 2021). "'I didn't want him to go yet': N.W.T. family mourns patriarch, territory's 1st death from COVID-19". CBC News.

External links

• Government of the Northwest Territories – COVID-19 in NWT
• Tracking COVID-19 in the Northwest Territories