Three places in Inuvik have been listed as exposure sites for Covid-19 and anyone who was at those places at the listed times should take safety precautions.

Inuvik Centennial Library is listed as an exposure site from Oct. 6 to Oct. 12 all day.

Inuvik Soup Kitchen is listed as an exposure site on Oct. 12 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Finally, Northmart has been listed as an exposure location on Oct. 11 from 2:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. People who were at the library, soup kitchen or Northmart during those days should isolate and get tested if symptoms develop.

Homeless out in Cold?

People staying at the Inuvik Warming and Homeless shelters who are required to isolate are being put up at the Mackenzie Hotel as Public Health races to identify exposure risks to the community.

However, homeless people who werenSA国际影视传媒檛 exposed to Covid-19 are on their own for now. Both Inuvik Warming and Homeless shelters closed down Oct. 13 after outbreaks were declared at both facilities. At the time the outbreak was declared, the Covid Secretariat of the GNWT said it had confirmed three cases, though the number of infected persons in Inuvik may now be as high as eight.

ThatSA国际影视传媒檚 the latest from an Oct. 14 press conference held by Dr. Kami Kandola, Premier Caroline Cochrane and Health Minister Julie Green. Cochrane said the press conference was the first she had heard of the closures.

SA国际影视传媒淭he isolation centre at the Mackenzie hotel is only for medically recommended people, whether theySA国际影视传媒檙e homeless or not,SA国际影视传媒� said Cochrane. SA国际影视传媒淚n honesty, this is the first ISA国际影视传媒檓 hearing about both shelters in Inuvik being closed, so weSA国际影视传媒檒l have to look into that and make sure we have services for other people.

Inuvik-Twin Lakes MLA Lesa Semmler told Inuvik Drum she has contacted Housing Minister Paulie Chinna about the closure and has now also written the premier.

Snow has been falling daily in Inuvik over the last week and overnight temperatures are regularly dropping below zero, with lows from -6C to -10C expected over the next seven days.

SA国际影视传媒淲here should our homeless go that use the emergency warming shelter? (ItSA国际影视传媒檚 a) pretty simple question,SA国际影视传媒� Semmler told Inuvik Drum. SA国际影视传媒淭here are many homeless that are not in the Mackenzie so where do they go tonight?SA国际影视传媒�

During the press conference, Kandola was asked when the first person at the shelters was diagnosed with Covid-19.

Kandola said there are currently eight infections in Inuvik, half of which were of homeless people. The Covid-19 Dashboard only lists two active cases of Covid-19 in the Beaufort Delta but also states eight confirmed cases, and the Oct. 13 outbreak declaration says there are three cases.

SA国际影视传媒淲e have to be careful before we start labelling outbreaks in a certain direction,SA国际影视传媒� said Kandola. SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 not always just the underhoused who will have Covid. The cases that were provided for the field yesterday were enough to let us know we were dealing with an outbreak.SA国际影视传媒�

Kandola said nurses conduct detailed interviews with infected patients to determine where they were over the course of their communicable period, the time when the virus is contagious and can be spread. She said public health was currently conducting those interviews.

Should public exposure notices be deemed necessary, Kandola hinted the notice could cover a few weeks. Exposure notices would list the locations and times the infected person was present.

SA国际影视传媒淪ome of these dates may seem longer than when theySA国际影视传媒檝e been diagnosed,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淭he person could be diagnosed on Oct. 14 but they could have been communicable, say, Oct. 7. So sometimes when we do the history we might get exposure notifications of days ago, but it all depends on when the individual first tested positive and when the interview can be done.SA国际影视传媒�

Kandola said she expected the interviews and contact tracing to be finished by the end of the day and an exposure notice would be issued afterwards if needed.

She said NWT Public Health employees were working hard to get the data to the Office of the Chief Public Health Officer, but noted they needed to follow up on any exposures theySA国际影视传媒檙e made aware of.

SA国际影视传媒淲e rely heavily on operational response from regional health authorities,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淲e will be posting the exposure notifications today, as soon as we can. This is an ongoing process, because ongoing interviewing is occurring as we speak.

SA国际影视传媒淚f thereSA国际影视传媒檚 more cases, thereSA国际影视传媒檚 more contact tracing and more interviewing. But when we do get an exposure notification we will post that.SA国际影视传媒�

She advised people concerned in Inuvik to follow the mandatory masking order, stay home unless absolutely necessary, wash their hands, maintain social distancing and avoid large gatherings.

SA国际影视传媒淭hese are things you can do right now to control your risk of transmission,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淭he most important intervention you can do if youSA国际影视传媒檙e eligible is to get vaccinated.SA国际影视传媒�