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Nunavummiut may be exempted from self-isolation in NWT

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Arviat's active cases of coronavirus stands at 23 as of Tuesday, according to the Department of Health. Pixabay photo

Public health officials in the NWT say travellers from Nunavut can apply to skip the mandatory 14-day self isolation period.

This includes Nunavummiut isolating in the NWT right now, but you have to apply to ProtectNWT.

And you must be asymptomatic.

The Office of the Chief Public Health Officer (OCPHO) says those arriving in the NWT from Nunavut will still need to submit a self-isolation plan and exemption request through ProtectNWT. 

They must receive an approved exemption letter from the CPHO before they can be exempt from self-isolation.

Anyone who has already arrived in the NWT from Nunavut can also apply for a retroactive exemption by contacting ProtectNWT.

“This means anyone who has arrived in the NWT and is already self-isolating can still apply for an exemption,” a release from the GNWT read. “If it is approved by the CPHO, that person would no longer have to self-isolate.”

“There are strong ties between the NWT and Nunavut,” Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Minister Julie Green said in the release. “As we continue our rollout of vaccinations and more NWT residents build up immunity to COVID-19, the NWT will continue looking at ways to expand our bubble across the North.”

Travellers applying for an exemption must have been in Nunavut or the NWT for at least the past 14 days. They must also:

  • Not be symptomatic.
  • Not have been named a contact of a COVID-19 diagnosis; or
  • Not have been notified that they were part of a COVID-19 outbreak.

Travellers will not be eligible for an exemption in the following circumstances:

  • If they are coming from a community with travel restrictions in place.
  • If they are coming from a community experiencing community spread of COVID-19.
  • If they are coming from a Nunavut closed camp or work site that has out-of-territory workers.

Also from the GNWT:

  • Travelers must follow additional conditions set out in the exemption letters during the first 14 days upon arrival to the NWT, such as wearing non-medical masks in public places where social distancing cannot be maintained.
  • Household members of a traveler with an exemption from self-isolation will also be exempt and not need to self-isolate.
  • The CPHO can revoke an exemption at any time or deny a request for exemption or alter conditions based on a current public health risk assessment.