Health officials are preparing for the next wave of COVID-19 and expect to be hit by the end of summer to early fall.
The Acting Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Andre Corriveau made the announcement at a media briefing Thursday.
Gearing up for the potential wave, the GNWT has started a new campaign called ‘Drive to 75’, making more vaccines available to communities in an effort to reach the 75 per cent vaccine rate across the territory.
A higher vaccination rate will better protect ourselves and the community, said Dr. Corriveau.
“Evidence is showing that the Delta variant of COVID-19 is becoming the most common one across Canada and in most parts of the world,” he said.
“Those who are not protected are at higher risk of getting it and then passing it on to both vaccinated and unvaccinated (residents),” he adds.
Now the territorial government will be making COVID-19 vaccines available in every community.
Christina Carter is a representative of the Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority (NTHSSA.)
Most NWT residents can book their appointment at their local health centre, “allowing the public to access vaccines on a routine basis as opposed to sporadic travelling clinics,” she says.
Residents without a nurse in their community will be put on a wait-list for the next available appointment.
GNWT not prepared to process SIP’s
Julie Green, minister of Health and Social Services, said in a Facebook post that the territorial government was overwhelmed by the uptick in self-isolation plans (SIP) last week.
“We were not prepared for the volume,” reads the post.
In a Tweet, Dr. Kami Kandola, chief public health officer, said a number of initiatives are in place to assist with SIP closures, including training ten additional staff and mobilizing 28 COVID Secretariat staff as well.
“ProtectNWT will provide all travellers with a formal response as soon as possible but is currently prioritizing SIP approval for those arriving in the NWT,” she says.
The territory’s vaccine rate (double dose) currently sits at 72 per cent.
