New exposure risk at Bella Dance, 48 cases in Yellowknife

Yellowknife residents who attended the Bella Dance Musical Theatre class on April 29 between 6:15 p.m. and 7:15 p.m. must self-isolate for 14-days, as another exposure risk is added to the long list in Yellowknife.

Elsewhere in town, two locations have been removed as exposure risk locations. 

Fatburger, which had previously been identified as an exposure risk on April 29 between 5:30 and 6:45 p.m., and Sutherland’s Pharmacy on May 1 between 11:20 a.m. and 11:45 a.m. are no longer considered exposure sites, according to the Office of the Chief Public Health Officer.

There are now 48 confirmed active cases in Yellowknife in the N.J. Macpherson connected cluster, according to the latest numbers, with three probable cases yet to be confirmed.

Of the 1,269 COVID-19 tests conducted as part of this outbreak, 92 per cent of the people tested have been under the age of 18, with the median age of those tested being 8 years-old. Sixty eight per cent of those children have displayed symptoms of the virus.

In a press conference on Friday, NWT’s Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Kami Kandola said almost all of the COVID-19 cases were connected directly to contacts who had been exposed at N.J. Macpherson, and not one of the long list of exposure risk locations throughout town.

Kandola added the initial case that caused the outbreak at N.J. Macpherson may have had exposure to an existing case in the territory, and is not connected to travel outside the territory.

Kandola reiterated the point she made on Monday, saying that Yellowknife had not seen “community transmission” yet, but there was still potential for it to happen.

Bailey Moreton
Bailey Moreton
Bailey is new to the north, arriving from Ottawa where he studied journalism at Carleton University. He has worked for newspapers in Halifax, Windsor, and Ottawa. He came to the north hoping to see polar bears. He will settle for a bison. If you have a tip, send it to 905 252-9781, or [email protected].

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