Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Health and Social Services. Today, we anticipate that the territory will move into phase 2 of the Emerging Wisely Plan, and that will enable a greater degree of freedom for NWT residents and a greater range of economic activity to resume. My question is: in what circumstances would we have to return to phase 1 or even to lockdown? Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Yellowknife Centre. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As part of the public health risk assessment framework that is included in the Emerging Wisely Plan, the Chief Public Health Officer has publicly stated what might take a community or the Northwest Territories back a phase or back into containment is the most restrictive phase right now. We fully expect a second wave to come anywhere from August to November this year.
The second wave in Canada could force the Northwest Territories to go back phases if travel restrictions are not strongly implemented. Resources for checkpoints, Protect Northwest Territories, compliance, and enforcement are all important to ensure that we have proper implementation. Depending on the severity of the second wave hitting Canada and perhaps the Northwest Territories, that our testing capability, we may need to revert back to relapsing phase 1 or containment properly to protect the public health and also the residents here in the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you to the Minister for that response. I am looking for more specific information. How many cases would force us to reverse phase 2 or phase 1? Is there any consideration about where those cases would be located to drive this decision?
At this time, we are not sure. It all depends on our Chief Public Health Officer and some of the orders. We have talked about some of the measures that we are doing now. We need to make sure that our enforcement, our Protect Northwest Territories, some of the measures we have in place continue to be strong. It's important to recognize that our Chief Public Health Officer has the authority to make any changes to the orders.
Thanks again to the Minister. I am going to continue to ask this question because I think people need to understand whether it's a matter of having a case, 10 cases, 100 cases, and also whether it matters in the decision-making whether those cases are in Yellowknife or whether they are in one of the small communities. I think that people want some accountability about when the phases could be reversed, what would trigger that in the NWT rather than in the country as a whole.
At three o'clock today, we are doing a media release, and we are talking about what phase 2 will look like. Our Chief Public Health Officer, our deputy minister for enforcement, our Premier, and myself will be talking about what opening up phase 2 will look like. I think here is an opportunity for questions for our Chief Public Health Officer to ask her at what point do we revert back and how many cases it would mean. Right now, Mr. Speaker, I just don't have that information.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you to the Minister for that. I find the answer a little troubling, because we don't have the opportunity to question the Chief Public Health Officer in public, but we are holding the Executive Council responsible for the management of the pandemic, and they are, of course, taking advice from the Chief Public Health Officer. Where does the accountability lie on the decision to move backwards through the Emerging Wisely Plan, and how is Executive Council involved in that decision-making? Thank you.
I signed the order, which means our Chief Public Health Officer has the authority to take control of this pandemic. In terms of where we stand as a Cabinet, we get updates from our Chief Public Health Officer. She briefs us as Cabinet. That level of detail, Mr. Speaker, that was asked, I just don't have that with me. However, I can commit to getting back to the Member with the number of cases.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.
