In a press conference on Jan. 26, Minister of Health and Social Services Julie Green said the GNWT is hopes to bring the public health emergency that has been in place since March 2020 to an end this spring, although she did not give a more specific date.

SA国际影视传媒淭he end of the public health emergency will not be the end of our management of outbreaks,SA国际影视传媒� said Green. She said some services would instead be transferred from the Covid secretariat to the health department to manage future outbreaks.

Also on Jan. 26, the GNWT made public for the first time its modelling for Covid cases and hospitalizations for the period of Sept. 1 to March 9.

These models predict that the territory is roughly at the peak of the current wave, with daily new cases predicted to drop from a seven-day average of about 140 leading up to Jan. 26, to less than 60 by March 9. Hospitalizations, which had a 14-day average of eight per day as of Jan. 19, are also expected to drop to about two by March 9.

SA国际影视传媒淢odeling is not a crystal ball,SA国际影视传媒� Andr茅 Corriveau, the territorySA国际影视传媒檚 deputy chief public health officer said. SA国际影视传媒淪o theySA国际影视传媒檙e not necessarily accurate predictions, and there are inherent limitations that must be kept in mind.SA国际影视传媒�

The status report cautions that there are still many uncertainties when it comes to predicting future Covid cases, including diminishing immunity and fluctuating compliance with health orders. Such models also decline in accuracy the farther into the future they project.

Corriveau said that although this modelling shows the GNWT is roughly at the peak of the Omicron wave, SA国际影视传媒渨e still expect to see a high level of activity until at least the middle of February.SA国际影视传媒�

Regarding the health order that was introduced earlier this month, Corriveau said, SA国际影视传媒淭here might be some aspects of it that might continue related to limits and capacity, but we seem to be on track to allow some resumption of higher-risk activity because of some of the benefits that are associated with those sports.SA国际影视传媒�

This health order, introduced on Jan. 7, further limits indoor gathering capacities and prohibits SA国际影视传媒渉igh-riskSA国际影视传媒� activities such as indoor contact sports, singing and dancing. It was supposed to remain in place through Jan. 21, but was extended to Jan. 30.

Corriveau also defended the territorySA国际影视传媒檚 decision to return schools to in-person learning. He pointed out that children are much less likely to have adverse reactions to Covid than the general population. SA国际影视传媒淥n the other hand, thereSA国际影视传媒檚 accumulated evidence that there are significant adverse effects to childrenSA国际影视传媒檚 well being and their social development when we insist that they attend school remotely,SA国际影视传媒� he said.

Shannon Barnett-Aikman, the Assistant Deputy Minister of Education and Culture, echoed CorriveauSA国际影视传媒檚 comments, saying SA国际影视传媒淲e know that being in school provides benefits that are difficult to replicate if not impossible to replicate via remote learning,SA国际影视传媒� such as extra-curricular activities.