Yellowknife hasnSA国际影视传媒檛 seen a rise in severe Covid-19 cases in the last three weeks despite a spike in the viral load in the citySA国际影视传媒檚 wastewater, according to the NWTSA国际影视传媒檚 Department of Health and Social Services.

The spike in viral load on April 11 was recorded on the GNWTSA国际影视传媒檚 Covid-19 dashboard, which tracks various virus-related trends. A graph from that dashboard shows average copies of the Covid virus per millilitre of wastewater, which is the unit used to measure viral load, skyrocketing from 138.9 on April 8 to about 7,700 on April 11.

Previously, the highest viral load detected in YellowknifeSA国际影视传媒檚 wastewater was 2,373.1 copies per millilitre in early October. Since then, levels have generally stayed under 350 copies per millilitre.

Department of Health and Social Services spokesperson Jeremy Bird said this increase was expected to happen in April due to the latest Covid variant. However, SA国际影视传媒淚n the past three weeks we have not seen an associated rise in severe hospitalizations, which have been relatively stable since the lifting of the territorial gathering order on March 1. The OCPHO (Office of the Chief Public Health Officer) will continue to monitor the situation, and if there is reason for concern, they will issue a public notice.SA国际影视传媒�

He said the SA国际影视传媒減redominant strainSA国际影视传媒� in the water was the Omicron BA.2 variant, a more infectious but not more severe strain of the Omicron variant that was first detected in the territory in March.

Bird said that SA国际影视传媒渃urrently, there is not enough information,SA国际影视传媒� to decide whether to take additional corrective measures.

SA国际影视传媒淲e actively monitor the results from the next few samples before determining what a spike could indicate. Again, if there is reason for concern, the Office of the Chief Public Health Officer will issue a public notice.SA国际影视传媒�

There has been one new Covid-related death in the NWT since the public health emergency was lifted, bringing the total to 22.

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