N.W.T. reports 2 new COVID-19 cases

The coronavirus, which causes COVID-19, isolated from a patient. Cases in the N.W.T. dropped slightly Wednesday. There are now 46 cases in the terrutory, compared to 4 9 on Tuesday. (NIAID Integrated Research Facility/Reuters - image credit)
The coronavirus, which causes COVID-19, isolated from a patient. Cases in the N.W.T. dropped slightly Wednesday. There are now 46 cases in the terrutory, compared to 4 9 on Tuesday. (NIAID Integrated Research Facility/Reuters - image credit)

COVID-19 cases in the N.W.T. dropped slightly in the past 24 hours, from 49 to 46.

There were three fewer cases reported in Tuktoyaktuk Wednesday by the Office of the Public Health Officer than the day before. It said there are now 36 cases in the community of about 1,000, compared to 39 on Tuesday.

In all other communities in the N.W.T., the number of cases remained the same as yesterday: six in Yellowknife, Dettah and Ndilǫ, two in Inuvik, and one each in Norman Wells, and Hay River and K'atl'odeeche First Nation.

The number of cases in the territory dropped by more than half since last weekend. On Friday, the OCPHO reported 104 cases in the territory and then 48 on Monday. The number of cases has remained relatively steady since then.

N.W.T. roll-out of COVID-19 vaccine for children 5 to 11 to be announced Thursday

The N.W.T. government will hold a news conference Thursday to announce the vaccine roll-out for children aged five to 11 in the territory.

The pediatric Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was approved for use by Health Canada on Nov. 19. The first shipment arrived in the country on Nov. 21, and doses are being distributed across the country.

N.W.T. health officials said they expected to receive doses of the pediatric vaccine by the end of this week.

According to N.W.T. government's COVID-19 website, as of Nov. 20, 87 per cent of those 12 and over are partially vaccinated, and 83 per cent are fully vaccinated.