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Three in NWT test positive for Covid-19, transmission risk low

covid single
All formerly infected individuals in Rankin Inlet are now considered to be recovered from Covid-19, the Department of Health stated Thursday. Pixabay photo

Three individuals have tested positive for Covid-19 after flying into the NWT, according to a Wednesday news release from the Covid-19 Coordinating Secretariat.

Two are non-resident workers at Diavik Diamond Mine. One is a non-resident worker in Yellowknife.

All three individuals are self-isolating and doing well.

Diavik Diamond Mine

The two infected workers arrived in the NWT on separate flights and tested positive on arrival. Results were confirmed at Stanton Territorial Hospital laboratory. All of those individuals' contacts are now in isolation at the mine site. Further transmission at the worksite is "very low."

Yellowknife

The induvial arrived in Yellowknife from domestic air travel before testing positive for Covid-19. Public Health has identified flight manifests and have followed up with individuals in close proximity on the flight. The affected seats are from an Air Canada flight numbered AC8225 departing from Edmonton on Dec. 21 in rows seven to 13.

All other contacts are in the non-resident worker’s home province, not in the NWT.

"We are now regularly seeing new cases of COVID-19 in the NWT," stated Mike Westwick, manager of communications with the Covid-19 Coordinating Secretariat.

"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."