First COVID-19 death reported in N.W.T. since Omicron outbreak began

The territorial government isreporting a 13th death in the N.W.T., the first since the Omicron outbreak began.

"My condolences to the family & community of the deceased," Health Minister Julie Green wrote in aTweetMonday.

The first update to the territorial numbers since the weekend also shows there have been five hospitalizations since Friday, while the number of active cases dropped from 1,356 on Friday to 1,266 Monday, a drop of 90.

Public health officials have emphasised thatcase counts may not reflect the actual number of cases, in part because some people with COVID-19 may not have been tested, or may not have reported results from home testing kits.

The Omicon variant also appears to lead to fewer severe outcomes, especially for those who are vaccinated, but experts warn not to view the variant as "mild."