Two more have tested positive with Covid-19, chief public health officer Dr. Kami Kandola announced in a press release Friday.
One is a Yellowknife resident and the other is a non-resident worker at Gahcho Kué Diamond Mine. Both cases are related to travel.
Public health and Gaucho Kué medical staff have identified 14 contacts at mine site.
The infected individual travelled directly to the mine site from a southern province and did not have any contact with NWT communities.
All contacts are now isolating and public health is monitoring the situation. Kandola advised there is no risk identified for any NWT communities and the risk of further transmission at the worksite is assessed to be very low.
Yellowknife
The infected Yellowknife individual arrived back to the NWT on a flight from Edmonton. During that time they would have been able to transmit infection.
Passengers in rows 14 to 20 on Air Canada flight AC8225 from Edmonton to Yellowknife on Dec. 16 have been contacted for testing and the Public Health Agency of Canada has been notified of the potential exposure.
The individual immediately self-isolated with their household as required and there are no identified contacts outside the household.
If you were a passenger in those rows and have not been contacted, contact your local health unit to arrange testing and continue to self-isolate for 14 days.
“We are now regularly seeing new cases of Covid-19 in the NWT,” Kandola said. “So far, they have been contained because people are taking the right steps to keep communities safe but we can’t assume that every instance of Covid-19 will be contained.
"We need to look at our individual and collective behavior to make sure transmission is limited if Covid-19 is present in the community."
Kandola reminds residents ahead of the holiday season to keep gatherings small, keep a physical distance of at least two metres, and that bigger, more open spaces are always better.
“Remember,” she said, “wall tents are indoors”
“Covid-19 moves quickly in crowds – no matter whether they’re traditional, religious, or family get-togethers. Any time there are a lot of people close together, there is a higher risk of transmission,” she said.
“With risk across Canada at its highest level since the pandemic began, taking these steps are a way you can limit risk to your families, friends, and communities this holiday season.”