N.W.T. has a new 811 hotline for people's COVID-19 questions

People in the Northwest Territories can now call a new hotline fortheir COVID-19 questions and concerns, according to a news release from the N.W.T. government.

Dialling 811 will get people connected to what the government calls itsService NWT COVID Support Line. That service will be residents' connecting point to self-isolation, enforcement and regional centre accommodation lines, states the news release.

The 811 line is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week.

Staff answering calls will also be able to answer questions aboutCOVID-19, help people determine if they should contact their local health centre for testing, and provide relevant contact information for resources.

Staff will also be able to accept "credible, specific complaints" about people who are not following public health orders, states the news release.

The government warns people the811 hotline is not for clinical advice; it's nota triage systemto determinewho's a priority to be seen at the health centres or hospital; and it's nota source forpharmaceutical information.

Interpretation services are available for this phone line, states the news release.

The 811 hotline is different from the Protect NWT enforcement line,which has staff available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. According to the government's website, that number is forquestions aboutself-isolation and travel restrictions.That number is1-833-378-8297, or people can email at protectnwt@gov.nt.ca.

Earlier this month, the chief public health officer Dr. Kami Kandola announced that she had a new deputy chief public health officer Conrad Baetz, who will head the new task force that will handle enforcement of her public health orders.