Four Northwest Territories residents have received tickets for breaking COVID-19 self-isolation rules.
The fines of $1,725 were issued by the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) Compliance and Enforcement Taskforce, a press release says.
Between July 27 and 29, two individuals in the North Slave and two in the Beaufort Delta were charged for not following self-isolation rules.
No further details on location or names are being provided, as the GNWT claims those details don’t provide additional public health value.
The GNWT says it is troubled by the recent self-isolation violations, as these measures are critical to preventing outbreaks in the territory.
Twelve individuals in total have received tickets for breaking self-isolation rules.
Alleged Fort Simpson gathering
The GNWT says investigations into self-isolation violations takes time, as evidence needs to be collected before the taskforce can issue fines.
The release cites an alleged incident in Fort Simpson last week where reports circulated of people not following travel restrictions and self-isolation rules to attend an event.
“This, understandably, has caused some anxiety in the town – and a number of calls for accountability,” the release says.
Diavik Mine COVID case
The GNWT COVID-19 dashboard says there are no active cases in the territory. However, last week an individual at the Diavik Diamond Mine was confirmed to have the virus.
The individual, who was showing no symptoms, remains in self-isolation at the mine site.
Twenty-seven people who had close contact with the individual are also self-isolating, says Mike Westwick, the government’s COVID-19 communications spokesperson, in an email.
There remains no concerns of any further cases or risk to other communities, he adds.
The GNWT says it will continue to monitor the situation for any changes and work with medical staff onsite.
