Healthcare services cut back to deal with COVID-19 outbreak

Health centres in the Sahtu and Dehco regions are only running emergency services for the time being, as communities in the area are grappling with the COVID-19 outbreak.

This might lead to delays for appointments and walk-in services, according to a statement from the Health and Social Services Authority.

People who need COVID-19 testing can call their local health centre to arrange for testing.

Clinics in Yellowknife will also be cutting back on services because of staff being redeployed to help manage the outbreak. The Yellowknife Primary Care Clinic and Frame Lake Community Health Centre will be moving to virtual appointments until Aug. 30.

This comes as the case count continues to increase in several communities in the territory. There are now 170 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the territory. 

Colville Lake, which only has a population of 149 people, saw its case total spike to 55.

There are also now seven cases in Délı̨nę, 10 in Norman Wells, one in Inuvik and 19 in Yellowknife.

There’s also a high-risk exposure notification in place for the Salvation Army in Yellowknife, for people who slept overnight at the shelter on any of August 15-19. Those people should self-isolate for ten days and arrange for testing.

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].

Continue Reading

You may also like



cjcd Now playing play

- Advertisement -

Related Articles

- Advertisement -

Latest News

Crews continue to battle 12,000 ha Wood Buffalo fire amid rising temperatures

As crews continue to battle a wildfire that grew to more than 12,000 hectares in Wood Buffalo, Wildland officials are concerned about how rising temperatures, particularly in the Dehcho and South Slave regions could affect conditions. Over the weekend, the wildfire reportedly expanded from just under 300 hectares to about 12, 353 hectares in size.

Yellowknife City Council adopts new approach to encampments

Yellowknife City Council met today to discuss the city’s approach to encampments, as well as the proposed renaming of Franklin Ave. 

GNWT proposes changes to student funding and access to student files

The territory is looking to make changes to regulations about student financial assistance and is looking for public “feedback” on the proposed changes. The proposed amendments could help expand student access to financial benefits, while also expanding the GNWT’s ability to access student information.

Western premiers meet for 2026 conference

Premiers from across western Canada met earlier this week for the 2026 Western Premier’s Conference in Kananaskis, Alberta.  

Normal Wells school joins list of 35 schools in NWT with high lead

Another school in the N.W.T. shows elevated levels of lead in drinking water, with eight sites about 400 times above the maximum drinking water standards. A message from the GNWT issued this evening read that water samples from the Mackenzie Mountain School in Norman Wells showed elevated levels of lead and copper. Water samples from 18 of the 22 fixtures tested above the guidelines for lead. Nearly half of the outlets on site, 8 of 22 fixtures showed elevated levels of copper