Jackie Jacobson

That's not what I want to hear. We have [inaudible] like they do in the South, here. We have to make a stand in regard to this COVID-19. People are worried; people are panicked. The thing is, I'm not trying to put people into a panic, but I'm just making sure that, when the teachers are coming back from the South, or anybody coming back from the South for spring break, if the DEA says, okay, we're going to shut down the school for two weeks after, making sure that the teachers get paid and the Minister supports the local DEAs on that call.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, I rise to welcome my Pages from Sachs Harbour, Tony and Rylan. Thank you for doing a good job here this week. I really enjoyed having them in the House, here. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you. We need a fire truck, Madam Chair. The community is at risk without a fire truck. The fire truck is 30 years old. It still could run, still pumps water, but there is no insurance. You can't use it. You're not supposed to use it; but we did use it. For the safety of the firefighters that are there, they're all volunteer, and there has to be a way, in regard to working with the community, to get something sooner rather than later, because the community is stretched to the limit already. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you. That's all for now, thanks.

Thank you, Madam Chair. In regard to that, okay, housing sold units in Tuktoyaktuk. We're having a coastal erosion program now, not SAFE whatsoever. We have funding that is moving houses right now; supposedly, that's going to go through in the next month. For securing assistance for emergency, SAFE, and the seniors aging in place retrofits and repairs, the people who are being moved in my home community from the shoreline, are they eligible for those two programs, for the $1.56 million and the $800,000, once the houses are moved? Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to ask the Deputy Premier: does the GNWT have plans to stop highway travel, or are we checking the drivers? Are we stopping any aircraft in regard to being checked in Edmonton or here in Yellowknife for pre-screening before they head North for the safety of our citizens? If this COVID-19 hits our communities, nursing stations are not going to be able to give aspirin and Tylenol and send them home. This has to be dealt with. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

What are the plans to assist small communities for the pandemic?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, I have visitors. Thank you for coming. I would like to welcome Tony Lucas, Sr., Donna Keogak. Thank you for bringing down my Pages from the community of Sachs Harbour, and my pages, Tony Lucas, Jr., and Rylan Esau, for working so hard and helping us here in the Assembly and in the House. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I think I'm going to elaborate a little bit more on the volunteers that we do have, the recognition that they do get, or sometimes they don't. We have so many people who volunteer all the time in the communities. We used to have awards every year, something like that. Does the department still do stuff like that in recognition of that? Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Preparing for the coronavirus in small communities. Mr. Speaker, I'm reluctant to talk about the coronavirus a the second day in a row because it is important to let the people know not to panic, but knowing that good plans are in place to help reduce panic, so that's what I want to focus on today. Knowing that yesterday, the World Health Organization confirmed that the coronavirus outbreak is a pandemic. There's 149 cases in Canada today. There is no universal definition. There are three general criteria of the pandemic, Mr. Speaker. A virus that can cause illness or...