Fort Liard COVID-19 containment order lifts Saturday night

The containment order in Fort Liard, N.W.T., is lifting Saturday at 10 p.m.

There have been no other confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the community since Jan. 20, said Dr. Kami Kandola, Northwest Territories' chief public health officer, in a Saturday evening press release.

"Residents can return to routine public health measures after 10 p.m." she said.

Fort Liard was put under a two-week containment order after a cluster of cases appeared in the community in mid-January. A total of six cases were confirmed, all of which have since recovered.

The containment order restricted indoor and outdoor gatherings, shuttered schools and closed non-essential businesses.

There are still a number of people who are self-isolating because they were close contacts of COVID-19 cases, said Kandola. The lifting of the containment order doesn't change any isolation advice these people may have gotten from health-care providers.

"It is extremely important to complete the 14 days of isolation if you have been directed to. This is because it can take up to 14 days for COVID-19 to develop," said Kandola.

She said staying isolated will help prevent others from getting sick, and she reminded people affected to monitor for symptoms and get in touch with a health-care provider if any symptom develops.

Kandola commended Fort Liard residents for their diligence in adhering to the containment order, and for supporting each other.

"It takes a whole community and more to push back a virus like COVID-19," she said.

"Together, we kept the community and the territory safe."