Temporary gathering order issued for Town of Hay River

Press Release

YELLOWKNIFE October 19, 2021 – The Chief Public Health Officer (CPHO) is issuing a temporary COVID-19 Gatherings Order for the Town of Hay River. The order goes into effect at 11:59 tonight (Oct. 19, 2021) and will remain in effect until 11:59 pm on Nov. 2, 2021, unless extended.

Currently there are 24 active cases in Hay River and K’atl’odeeche First Nation. There is evidence of community transmission where people with recent COVID infections have no known link to an established source. There are now active cases in four of the five Hay River/KFN schools

Restrictions

Outdoor gatherings will be limited to 25 people.
Indoor gatherings are limited to 10 people. This will not apply to essential businesses and facilities, provided they limit the number of in-person staff to those required to carry out operations. For more information please see Containment and Gathering Orders FAQs.
All previous exemptions for persons, businesses, organizations, restaurants or bars will no longer apply. Further exemptions during this 14 -day order will only be provided in exceptional circumstances to further limit the spread within Hay River.
Household gatherings will be limited to household members only
Schools will remain closed until the expiry of the order.
Day cares and day homes are exempt from this order if operating under currently approved plans that have been submitted to the CPHO.

The CPHO is hopeful that by implementing these additional restrictions for a 14-day period it will act as a circuit breaker to limit the spread of COVID-19 in Hay River, allow for the safe reopening of schools, and a return to relaxed restrictions on gatherings. It is recommended to avoid non-essential travel in and out of Hay River for the duration of this order.

Full details on the order will be released as soon as possible and will be available on the GNWT COVID-19 website under the Current Public Health Orders: https://www.gov.nt.ca/covid-19/en/current-public-health-orders

The CPHO would like to remind all residents that the most important thing they can do to protect themselves from severe outcomes from COVID-19 is to get vaccinated. All residents 12 years of age and older who have not yet received two doses of the vaccination should make arrangements to get fully vaccinated. All fully vaccinated residents 60 years and older are eligible for a booster if more than six months after their 2nd dose.

Attribution

All commentary is attributable to Dr. Kami Kandola, Chief Public Health Officer for the Northwest Territories.

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