Yellowknife politicians say parents are telling them changes to self-isolation rules for people reentering the NWT donSA国际影视传媒檛 go far enough because they donSA国际影视传媒檛 include children younger than 12.

Chief public health officer (CPHO) Dr. Kami Kandola announced on June 21 that vaccinated residents, non-resident essential service workers and other vaccinated travellers with exemptions no longer need to self-isolate upon entry to the NWT.

RELATED REPORTING: Self-isolation rule for vaccinated residents, others lifted: CPHO

KandolaSA国际影视传媒檚 recommendation against travel for only essential reasons was also lifted.

Great Slave MLA Katrina Nokleby said constituentsSA国际影视传媒� responses to the June 21 announcement included excitement about the option to travel again but also frustration over some details of the new rule.

SA国际影视传媒淭he ones with kids under 12 are still angry that it wonSA国际影视传媒檛 apply to them,SA国际影视传媒� she said, referring to the requirement that travelling family members with differing vaccination status must isolate together when returning.

For example, children under the age of 12, who cannot yet be vaccinated, have to self-isolate for at least 10 days with negative test on the 10th day. Children under two donSA国际影视传媒檛 need to take a test on day 10 but only isolate until then, according to CPHO regulations.

SA国际影视传媒淚 think they feel like nothing is changing for them because they have kids and theySA国际影视传媒檙e disappointed,SA国际影视传媒� Nokleby said.

READ MORE:

Yellowknife North MLA Rylund Johnson said his constituents have expressed the same sentiment.

Among territorial neighbours, NunavutSA国际影视传媒檚 policy is the same as the NWTSA国际影视传媒檚, but the Yukon government on June 18 stated that children under 12 returning to the territory wouldnSA国际影视传媒檛 have to self-isolate if theySA国际影视传媒檙e with fully vaccinated parents or guardians, who also donSA国际影视传媒檛 have to isolate.

Yukon chief medical officer of health Dr. Brendan Hanley said the changes were recommended based on lower risk of transmission from children, Yukon News reported.

READ MORE:

SA国际影视传媒楥reepy and totalitarianSA国际影视传媒�

One Yellowknife resident, who asked to remain anonymous, expressed irritation over the new rules and said the lifting of self-isolation requirements doesnSA国际影视传媒檛 help parents with children under 12.

SA国际影视传媒淲e had to apply for an exemption for our fully-vaccinated family members. I have trouble with this,SA国际影视传媒� he said.

Residents can apply to ProtectNWT for travel exemptions so they can receive visitors for compassionate reasons, family reunifications (including SA国际影视传媒渃lose relationsSA国际影视传媒� or parents) and exceptional circumstances, such as for pre-relocation house hunting trips, according to the ProtectNWT website.

The same exemption categories have been in place since the pandemic public health emergency began, said COVID-19 Secretariat spokesperson Dawn Ostrem.

The male complainant said the government seems to be SA国际影视传媒渞ubber-stamping these applications, thankfully.

SA国际影视传媒淏ut we shouldnSA国际影视传媒檛 be required to beg the government to let our family into the territory. ThereSA国际影视传媒檚 just something very creepy and totalitarian about that,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淭he CPHO still hasnSA国际影视传媒檛 explained why fully vaccinated non-residents are not allowed in without permission. I shouldnSA国际影视传媒檛 have to ask the government for permission to bring my family here at this stage.SA国际影视传媒�

Purpose is to manage risk: GNWT

In response to questions about the rationale for entry rules, Department of Health and Social Services spokesperson Darren Campbell said generally SA国际影视传媒渢his is about managing risk and protecting the NWTSA国际影视传媒檚 health-care system.SA国际影视传媒�

SA国际影视传媒淭he NWTSA国际影视传媒檚 highest risk of an outbreak or community spread is by importation through travellers and the evolution of variants of concern. As we have seen in the N.J. Macpherson School outbreak and in the current outbreak in the Yukon, the virus can spread quickly in unvaccinated segments of the population and then in those households,SA国际影视传媒� said Campbell.

READ MORE:

At least 291 exemption applications have been submitted to ProtectNWT since June 21, Campbell said, a number SA国际影视传媒渘ot unanticipated.SA国际影视传媒�

After the self-isolation requirement changes of June 21, as the school year ends and as vaccination levels rise across the country, the GNWT anticipates out-of-territory travel will increase along with the number of self-isolation plans (SIPs) submitted to ProtectNWT, he added.

Each application is assessed by the CPHO. The GNWT hasnSA国际影视传媒檛 yet prepared information on how many have been accepted or rejected, nor broken down the reasons for most applications.

Overtime for ProtectNWT staff members working to process SIPs has been authorized, Campbell said.

Under Emerging Wisely 2021, the GNWT aims to permit all fully vaccinated travellers to visit the NWT by late summer or early fall, though they will still have to submit SIPs.