Some non-residents receiving COVID-19 vaccine in N.W.T.

A N.W.T. worker at the Gahcho Ku diamond mine says non-residents who work at the mine were recently flown to Yellowknife to get vaccinated.

CBC is not identifying the worker to protect him from reprisal. He said two medics from Ontario who work at the mine were recently flown to the capital to get the shot.

Last month, De Beers shut down Gahcho Ku after starting to detect cases of COVID-19 among its workers. At least 19 people have been infected.

The worker reached out to CBC following comments by the territory's Health Minister Julie Green last week, leaving some with the impression that none of the territories' supply of the vaccine has been given to people who live outside the territory.

"The N.W.T. will not will not prioritize non-residents over residents" for the COVID-19 vaccine,Green said in the Legislature on Tuesday.

Green was responding to a question from InuvikTwin Lakes MLA Lisa Semmlerabout whethernon-residents working at remote camps are being vaccinated.

"When all eligible residents have been vaccinated, and if there is vaccine available, the [Chief Public Health Officer] will look at the possibility of vaccinating rotational workers who are from outside of the territory," Green said.

The Health Department confirmed that the Gahcho Kumedics were vaccinated, but said the owner of the mine, De Beers, paid for the flight. It said other workers "associated with the outbreak" at the mine have also been vaccinated. So have non-resident physicians, nurses and first responders who work in the N.W.T. health-care system.

In an email, a department spokesperson said that a total of "less than 150" non-residents have been vaccinated in the N.W.T. The spokesperson said all but "less than 10" are health-care workers.

According to the department, out-of-territory workers only receive the vaccine if an assessment by the office of the Chief Public Health Officer (CPHO) concludes that the workers could present a significant health risk to N.W.T. residents if they contracted COVID-19.

"Moving forward, and following recent hospitalizations from the mine outbreak, the CPHO has requested additional doses of [the] Moderna vaccine specifically to offer [the] vaccine to out-of-territory rotational workers including those who work in congregate settings like mines and work camps to prevent future outbreaks and the risk to N.W.T. residents who work at these workplaces," said the official in an email.

The Health Department could not confirm how many additional doses have been requested.

"All eligible N.W.T. residents who wish to receive the vaccine will be able to do so by April," the official said.

"This is many months ahead of everywhere else in Canada."