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GNWT extends emergency provisions for another two weeks

The Government of the Northwest Territories is extending its public health emergency and state of emergency for another two weeks, it announced a news release issued Tuesday.

The announcement comes two weeks following the release of the Emerging Wisely document which paved the way for the easing of some public health restrictions.

The public emergency extension runs from May 27 to June 9, continuing  a series of announcements to protect the public from the spread of Covid-19 that began with an initial public health emergency declaration made on March 18. 

The GNWT announced on Tuesday that the public health emergency and state of emergency will continue for another two weeks.

"While the Northwest Territories is currently in containment mode, with no evidence of community spread and all cases recovered, the situation can change quickly without carefully managing the continued response," states the news release.

"Nationwide spread is the biggest risk of expanding spread within the Northwest Territories and (chief public health officer Kami) Kandola has indicated she will continue to recommend extensions to the Public Health Emergency until the situation has changed considerably across Canada."

The announcement comes at the behest of Diane Thom, minister of Health and Social Services, based on recommendations from Kandola.

Premier Caroline Cochrane, as minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, has also extended a territory-wide state of state of emergency under the Emergency Management Act.

The GNWT states that extending both emergency declarations are necessary for the government to carry out public health orders, including border checkpoints and isolation centres and to prevent new cases of the coronavirus from taking place and spreading.

"We are now just over a week into eased restrictions as described within Phase One of the Emerging Wisely plan," states the news release. "These include opportunities like increased interpersonal interactions, the opening of some business and organizations, and increased numbers for outdoor gatherings."

The NWT is still restricting most travel into the NWT by non-residents with limited exceptions, states the news release.

Any NWT resident entering the territory is still required to self-isolate for 14 days in either Yellowknife, Inuvik, Hay River or Forth Smith before they are allowed to go home.