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At least $1.3 million spent on Covid isolation since March, GNWT says

Blair McBride
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The GNWT has spent about $1.3 million on costs for its isolation accommodations across the territory since March. pixabay image
The GNWT has spent at least $1.3 million on isolating residents since March.
An estimated $1,332,194 in total has been spent on hotel isolation accommodations, food, staffing and transportation in the four designated isolation hubs of Yellowknife, Hay River, Fort Smith and Inuvik, according to the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs (MACA).
The plan to provide isolation accommodations at the GNWT's expense was unveiled in March when it was announced that returning NWT residents must self-isolate for 14 days. That order was given on the same day that the territory's first confirmed case of Covid-19 was announced.
The GNWT has spent about $1.3 million on costs for its isolation accommodations across the territory since March. pixabay image
The $671,800 spent on isolation accommodations in Yellowknife accounted for a little over half of the total costs, with around $171,970 allotted in March and $499,800 disbursed in April.
In Inuvik, the price tag for isolation costs in March was close to $185,000, and about another $345,570 in April.
Approximately $80,280 was spent in Hay River in March and $43,550 in April.
In Fort Smith, around $3,000 was spent in both months.
"The lower amount in Fort Smith reflects using Aurora College as the isolation centre," MACA said.
Transportation is available to take people to isolation accommodation, if needed. Three meals per day are provided to people in the centres and efforts are made to accommodate dietary requirements.
The department said the dollar totals are approximate because invoices had not yet been finalized or verified.
As of Monday, 368 people have undergone isolation and checked out of the accommodations, according to MACA data.
There are 124 people now in isolation across the NWT, with 82 in Yellowknife, 18 in Inuvik, 17 in Hay River and seven in Fort Smith.
In Nunavut, around $4 million has been spent on isolation accommodations for residents of that territory, 1,022 of whom were housed in isolation hubs in Ottawa, Winnipeg, Edmonton and Yellowknife.