Alberta travel bubble and kids wearing masks? N.W.T.'s top doctors take your COVID-19 questions

Rules in the Northwest Territories, from travel to physical distancing measures, have been changing rapidly since the COVID-19 pandemic swept through the country earlier this year.

CBC's The Trailbreaker is here to help you find some clarity.

Dr. Kami Kandola, the N.W.T.'s chief public health officer, and territorial medical director Dr. Sarah Cook, joined host Loren McGinnis live between 7 and 8 a.m. MT on Tuesday for a call-in show.

Phase 2 of the territory's reopening plan launched Friday. 

The second phase of the plan includes larger outdoor gatherings, easing of campground restrictions, more businesses opening up with precautions in place, the reopening of places of worship, and offices will be allowed to have 25 people working per floor.

Among the top questions from listeners included travel in and out of the territory and what heading into the fall will look like — particularly for students and school staff.

When will residents be able to drive out of N.W.T. on Highway 7 (Liard Highway) into northern B.C.?

In March, the N.W.T. government announced it was closing the Liard Highway (Highway 7) to traffic in an effort to help slow the spread of COVID-19. At the time it said emergency vehicles and enforcement vehicles could still pass.

"This question I will bring to the Department of Infrastructure and see if they can develop a protocol," Kandola said.

Is it possible to take a test upon arrival in N.W.T. instead of isolating for 14 days?

In short, no. Cook added it's very important for people to understand the limitations of a [COVID-19] test.

"When someone does not have symptoms, a negative test is not reliable," she said.

That's because it can take up to 14 days for the virus to grow in a person and if someone tests negative, it could mean one of several implications, Cook explained. A person may not have the virus, or they have the virus but it hasn't grown enough inside them to be detected, or they do have the virus but won't develop symptoms.

Cook said in that case, it's still possible to spread the disease.

"Doing a test could not be a replacement for a 14-day isolation, " Cook said.

Are there plans to include Alberta in the travel bubble and what will that look like?

Not at this time, Kandola said.

Alberta has lifted some public health measures last week but the province is now reporting cases in the double digits again.

"The situation doesn't seem to be getting better in Alberta," she said. "At this point, there are no indications that we can safely do a bubble with Alberta."

Kandola added the territory is continuing to monitor the province and the level of community transmission.

As of Friday, the N.W.T. announced it would have a travel bubble with Nunavut, where travels between those territories would not need to self -isolate under some conditions.

On Monday, the N.W.T. government said it set up an access pass program for Alberta and N.W.T. that residents of both jurisdictions could apply for. 

How will we know what it will look like in the fall, specifically for schools, and how will things change over the summer?

The government announced N.W.T. schools will open in the fall, provided schools follow certain conditions. 

"Our office will be meeting with the superintendent[s] next week to look at prototypes of their school exposure plans," Kandola said.

"It's less so what's going to be happening over summer [and more so] what we're expecting to see ... in the fall when people return indoors," Kandola said.

However, she said when you look at the data, those younger than 19 are not the main driver of the spread of COVID-19. She said it tends to be more often adults.

The territory is looking into "the right approach" to allow students to continue their studies as much as possible in the school environment while still protecting them and the staff. It will be under discussion next week, Kandola said.

If infections continue at zero in the territory, will children need to wear masks?

For kids 12 and under, having them wear masks on school buses and other "key environments," is being considered, said Kandola.

For older kids the risk goes up for clinical symptoms, so masks might be more so required for them, she said.

"One of the issues again is there's this concept that [COVID-19] is going to go away, that there's not spread happening," she said.

In the fall, Kandola said we can anticipate a second wave.

She added what the territory is hoping is to do is make sure that in areas where people are congregating — like a school or office — people are protected in the event a case turns up there.

Further, Kandola said she highly recommends the use of non-medical face masks to be worn by anyone in public.

"It's not mandatory but we strongly recommend it," Kandola said. "Especially when you're in situations where you can't physically distance."

Missed the live call-in show? Listen to it here: