One Confirmed COVID-19 Infection in Yellowknife

News Type: 
Past COVID-19 Advisories

YELLOWKNIFE APRIL 21, 2021 – The Office of the Chief Public Health Officer (OCPHO) has confirmed one infection of COVID-19 in Yellowknife.

The infection is related to domestic travel outside the NWT.

The individual is self-isolating and doing well.

The NWT sends a sample of the virus detected from all those diagnosed with COVID-19 to our southern lab partners to test for any Variants of Concern.

Investigation

The investigation is ongoing at this time. The local public health unit is conducting public health follow up and any identified contacts will be notified and provided support. Public health has followed up with the individual to ensure this person is supported.

Exposure risk notification

There is one location where some risk of exposure has been identified by public health.                                            

  • April 19 between 3 and 4:30 pm: Taste of Saigon in Yellowknife
  • Everyone who was in this location at these times must self-isolate at home for the next 14 days and contact the Yellowknife Public Health Unit at 867-767-9120 to get additional advice. Those you live with must also self-isolate for 14 days if you cannot safely self-isolate at home away from them.
  • During this period, anyone self-isolating must monitor themselves for symptoms closely. If you develop any of the following symptoms, no matter how mild, we are asking you contact the Yellowknife Public Health Unit to be assessed:
    • Fever
    • New or worsening cough
    • Shortness of breath
    • Malaise (generally feeling unwell)
    • Muscle aches
    • Fatigue
    • Sore throat
    • Runny nose
    • Headache
    • Diarrhea
    • Vomiting
    • Loss of sense of smell or taste
    • Loss of appetite

If you are experiencing shortness of breath at-rest, call 9-1-1 - and let them know you may have had an exposure to COVID-19.

Connection to wastewater advisory

The individual got tested after an advisory was issued April 19 asking anyone who had travelled outside the Northwest Territories and was self-isolating or self-monitoring in Yellowknife from April 14-17 to get tested as wastewater surveillance revealed undetected cases of COVID-19 during this period.

An undetected infection of COVID-19 uncovered in less than 48 hours is a positive development as the territory works to ensure risk of community transmission is contained in the City of Yellowknife.

However, the advisory from April 19 remains in place.

While this new infection is travel related, more information from diagnostic testing and additional wastewater analysis is needed to confidently assess whether there remains a risk of community transmission.

Get a swab, get it now

It is important that anyone with any symptoms at all comes forward for a COVID-19 test.

This is how you can help keep communities safer throughout this period of higher risk. When public health knows about a case of COVID-19, it can investigate, get contacts isolated, and prevent further transmission.

Getting a test is quick and easy. If you have no exposures or travel history in the last two weeks, you can go back about your regular activities if you get a negative result, do not have a fever, and your symptoms have improved.

How to get tested in Yellowknife

If you have symptoms and cannot find an appointment online, a limited number of walk-ins for people with symptoms can be accommodated.

Attribution

All commentary is attributable to Dr. Kami Kandola, Chief Public Health Officer for the Northwest Territories.

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