The GNWT has asked the federal government and the Red Cross for additional health resources to help tackle the current COVID-19 outbreaks, Premier Caroline Cochrane said on Aug. 19.
In a televised interview with Katie Simpson on CBC, Cochrane said that dealing with coronavirus outbreaks is a SA国际影视传媒渉uge concern because of capacitySA国际影视传媒� with the healthcare system SA国际影视传媒渁lready stretched to the limit.
SA国际影视传媒淥ur biggest problem is we donSA国际影视传媒檛 have the services,SA国际影视传媒� the premier said. (And) weSA国际影视传媒檝e had more cases in the last week than weSA国际影视传媒檝e had in the entire pandemic.SA国际影视传媒�
The outbreak of COVID-19 infections among NWT residents spread from one case in each of Fort Good Hope and Norman Wells on Aug. 15 to 128 active cases by Aug. 19.
The premier noted that a SA国际影视传媒渕ajor concernSA国际影视传媒� is the territory only has two ICU beds at Stanton Territorial Hospital, but said Alberta is a source of backup for health resources.
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Fewer than than six people have been hospitalized in the outbreaks so far, she said.
But she added there are only two beds available in the ICU at Stanton Territorial Hospital.
Cochrane said the GNWT has also reached out to the Rangers for logistics assistance, echoing a request that Dene National Chief Norman Yakeleya said is being considered.
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SA国际影视传媒淲e need help from nurses with testing and logistics. Any help they can give us would be greatly appreciated. I donSA国际影视传媒檛 know who will be coming and the services theySA国际影视传媒檒l provide. I expect more information on that in the next day or two,SA国际影视传媒� Cochrane said.
While vaccination rates are high in the NWT, she acknowledged there is fear towards vaccines in some Indigenous communities because Indigenous people have been used as test subjects for vaccines in the past.
SA国际影视传媒淲e need to work harder to dispel that fear.SA国际影视传媒�
