Caroline Cochrane speaks on her role as premier and how that's changed a year into the pandemic

When COVID-19 arrived in the Northwest Territories last March, public health became the top priority.

Now, more than a year later since the public health emergency was first announced in the territory, restrictions have not eased much. 

In an interview with CBC News last week, premier Caroline Cochrane said the first few months involved a lot of navigating and figuring out how her role fit together with the role of the chief public health officer, Dr. Kami Kandola.

"When we first started the relationship with Dr. Kandola, none of us knew what we were doing. COVID-19 didn't have a game book, there was no strategy, there was no game plan, there was nothing to learn from — throughout the world we were all learning," she said.

"So we were all jumping through hoops trying to figure out what was next, trying to make sure we didn't step over each other's feet in the meantime."

Variants 'raging' in the South

Now that the initial shock is over and Cochrane and Kandola have had a chance to work together and understand the virus more, residents are asking what is next with reopening the territory.

"I think what's happening now, in honesty, we've been very fortunate. We've had zero deaths. We've had only a couple of cases [of COVID-19] that had to be hospitalized. We've gone about life like it almost doesn't almost exist. If we didn't have to wear masks everywhere, I'm not sure if people would always remember it every single day," she said.

"I know that I would like to open up. I would love everything to go back to how it was. The reality is, is that people are dying down south. We have over 23,000 people that have died in Canada in the last year from COVID-19. The variants are raging in the South, they haven't gotten [them under] control. People are not all immunized in the South."

At the start of the pandemic, Cochrane said she, along with her territorial counterparts, pushed the federal government to make the territories a priority when it comes to vaccine distribution.

"It worked, but we all knew that there would be a cost for our success," Cochrane said.

"Now because all of our population has access to be vaccinated, people are saying, 'open up.' But, we have to make sure that our decisions are based on the best scientific evidence and right now it doesn't take very much science to turn on your TV and see what's happening in the South." 

When it comes to calls like those of Tim Syer, president of the Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce, who said that the premier and her Cabinet have not been governing during the pandemic, Cochrane said that is not true.

"We've done so much since the beginning of the pandemic, we've had to look at tax reliefs; any kind of reliefs [or] programs we can for businesses; we gave financial aids; we've lobbied the federal government; we've worked our programs to coincide with the federal programs that are coming," said Cochrane.

"I would say we're doing the normal governance in any other government, plus."

'Everyone has a role'

While Kandola usually has the authority to recommend a public health emergency and decide safety measures that go along with that on her own, Cochrane said major decisions still need to be approved by cabinet.

"My hope is very soon, as soon as possible, cabinet will have to make another decision to stop the public health emergency, on the recommendation, of course, by the Chief Public Health Officer."

But the criteria needed to be met in order for this to happen is pretty high.

"There has to not be a pandemic. We have to have addressed it in Canada as a whole, the risk has to be low," said Cochrane.

She also said more residents need to get vaccinated, especially younger adults who, she noticed, have started to think the virus is similar to the flu and are not taking COVID-19 seriously.

"I can't stress enough how much I need people from 18 to 30, or 35, to go in. Please, go in and get vaccinated. It's not only about you, it's about those you love around you," Cochrane said. "Everyone has a role in this and until we can get those vaccinated, I'm not going to sleep well at night."

Cochrane did say that she and Kandola are looking at ways to ease restrictions during the review of the territory's Emerging Wisely document, set to come out near the end of this month. But she said not to bet on everything being back to "normal" just yet.

"People are still dying down South, people are not vaccinated," she said. "Our decisions have to be based on what's happening throughout Canada as well."

Cochrane recognized that the past year has been tough and that residents are getting tired of the restrictions, but said we are "almost there".

"Thank you to all the residents, to all the businesses. I know we've all made huge sacrifices over this last year … It's not one person, it's not Dr. Kandola, it's not myself, it's the whole government that is working on this," she said.

"It's the whole of society. Every resident, every business has done a lot to get us where we are today and I cannot thank you enough."