Zero new COVID-19 cases reported in Yellowknife, active case count drops to 17

The Northwest Territories' deputy chief public health officer reported no new cases of COVID-19 in Yellowknife on Tuesday, and that the number of active cases has dropped to 17.

A total of 69 cases have been linked to an outbreak at N.J. Macpherson School, declared on May 2.

In an update on Tuesday, Dr. Andy Delli-Pizzi said 52 of those cases have now recovered.

He also said the isolation period has ended for many of the people who were at any of the many exposure sites connected to the outbreak. Delli-Pizzi recommends those people get tested for COVID-19, though they are not required to do so.

Of the cases linked to the city's outbreak, 86 per cent were reported in children.

The rash of cases led to school closures in Yellowknife, Ndilo, Dettah and Behchokǫ̀, and forced more than 1,000 people into isolation.

Schools were allowed to reopen on Monday, but masks are now mandatory inside schools.