Yellowknife COVID-19 count continues to grow, Behchok count on the decline

On Friday evening N.W.T. health officials announced 45 new cases of COVID-19 in the territory, with the active case count now standing at 456.

There are now 281 active cases in the Yellowknife, Dettah and Ndil region (up from 272cases Thursday), and 152 in Behchok (down from 163 cases Thursday).

"In Yellowknife, COVID-19 infections are occurring in a variety of workplaces, in day homes and in retail stores," states Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Kami Kandola in a press release. Kandola added that most cases of COVID-19 are no longer linked to "the outbreak in the underhoused population in Yellowknife."

"This is community transmission and the impacts are being felt in all demographics within Yellowknife," she stated.

Health officials discourageany travel between Yellowknife andother communities, except for essential reasons, and remind people to obey public health orders already in place. This is to prevent the territory's health care system from being overwhelmed, and to protect others.

Public health orders limiting gatherings remain in effect in Yellowknife, Dettah and Ndil until Oct. 17, and inBehchok until Oct. 18.

Active cases by community or location:

• Inuvik1
• utsel Ke1
• Dettah, Ndil and Yellowknife281
• Fort Good Hope1
• Norman Wells1
• Fort Smith8
• Hay River and K'atl'odeeche First Nation7
• Behchok152
• Wekwet 2
• What1
• Tch highway1

Children and COVID-19

There are 69 children under the age of 12 in the N.W.T. with COVID-19, or 15 per cent of active cases.

National data shows that childrenare at low risk of severe symptoms from COVID-19.

Canadian North flight exposure notice

Another flight was added to the N.W.T.exposure list. Anyone on Canadian North flight 244 from Edmonton to Yellowknife on Oct. 5, and who was sitting in rows 13 through 19, could have been exposed to COVID-19.

Anyone in those rows who is unvaccinated or partially vaccinated must isolate for 10 days and arrange for testing. Anyone fully vaccinatedshould self-monitor, and self-isolate and arrange for testing if symptoms develop.

The full list ofpublic exposure notices can be found here.