This is page numbers 1153 - 1196 of the Hansard for the 19th Assembly, 2nd Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was seniors.

Topics

R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

ECE gives out a lot of money. The Members are always asking me to give out more money. I have to let them know there is a process. There is a process in the government whereby I have to go to the Financial Management Board and present this. That being said, these funds were put out there for a reason. It's because COVID-19, we were afraid it was coming to the territory, and we needed to be prepared. As such, we put a lot of time into it in a short period of time. We put a lot of hours each day into this.

We are in a different place now. What we have to do is go back, look at what we have in place, look at these supports. Maybe they are not the right supports. Maybe we need different supports. There are some things in there, for example, helping ensure that childcare centres that have closed can keep paying their bills so they don't disappear. Why would we do that if we are just going to now let them disappear? It would make sense that we have to look at what ongoing supports we can provide. Once we figure that out, then I will come back to the Financial Management Board with a plan if that is what is needed, and we will go from there.

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

I was hoping for a "yes." Look, I take the Minister's points, but what I would like to hear him say is that he is actually prepared to take that proposal to FMB. During COVID-19, there has been a global recognition of how childcare workers provide an essential service. Early in this sitting, the Premier reiterated her support for universal childcare. I agree with it, too. We also have an early childhood development framework and an action plan in place that will start to help us get there. Can the Minister commit that he'll get his senior staff to discuss with early childcare providers, and they are ready and eager to enter discussions about looking at making some of these changes during COVID-19 more permanent, to increase the availability and affordability of childcare?

R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

I know that every time we talk about universal childcare for the next four years, it's going to come back to the quote from the Premier saying, "I am all about universal childcare." I thank her for that. In the government's mandate, there is a commitment to develop a 2030 early learning and childcare strategy in consultation with stakeholders that considers the availability of childcare spaces and reduction of childcare costs. This is under the commitment to advance universal childcare. What the Member's asking is what is in the mandate.

This is what we plan to do, how can we move towards a universal childcare and early learning education system, essentially, across the Northwest Territories. I can't commit to the date when those talks will happen. The department is in constant contact with early learning and childcare providers. There are ongoing conversations, and there are a lot of good ideas that we already know about. Given the situation right now where a lot of employees are working from home, some have gone to other departments to help with the COVID-19 efforts, I can't commit to making this happen today. That is exactly the type of work that ECE is planning on doing.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Frame Lake.

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Merci, Monsieur le President. I want to thank the Minister for that fabulous display of Cabinet solidarity. More seriously, I do appreciate his commitment on this file. He has done a lot of work in the department, as well. I commend him for his commitment to work with childcare providers moving forward. Of course, we are still in a pandemic. I have raised the issue of lessons learned several times in this House, Mr. Speaker. One of those lessons learned is that we need to continue to improve access to affordable childcare. Can the Minister tell us how he and his department intend to approach lessons learned about childcare during this pandemic and make permanent changes that bring us closer to universal childcare? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

R.J. Simpson

R.J. Simpson Hay River North

Unfortunately, I wouldn't say there are necessarily a lot of lessons learned. It's highlighted a lot of the things that we already knew: that there are a limited number of qualified early childhood educators; the pay scale is not quite comparable to other fields. In the letter the Member referenced, it talks about the pay scale for early childhood educators and people who work at childcare centres. It's much lower than, say, teachers, for example. A lot of times, people who have those qualifications move on to the JK to 12 system. It's tough to hold onto them.

The department has been trying to respond to these types of things over the past number of years. We have grants for people who want to further their education in this field. There are dual credit courses that students can take in high school so that they can get an early start into this. There are a couple programs at Aurora College. We are doing a lot of the work that needs to get done here. We already know about that work. If this helps us get there faster, then I will take advantage of that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Monfwi.

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

Masi, Mr. Speaker. [Translation] I spoke earlier in my Member's statement about the seniors and what kind of a program is there. We have been thinking about it. That is why I want to ask the Minister for seniors about what kind of a program is there for seniors. [Translation ends]

[Microphone turned off] ...month. I have some questions for the Minister responsible for Seniors. The first question I have is: what kind of programs exist for our elders' or seniors' care, more specifically in the area of verbal and physical abuse here in the Northwest Territories? Masi, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Monfwi. Minister responsible for Seniors.

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Part of the mandate and one of the priorities is we are working on that. Right now, we do have a hotline available for people to bring forth their concerns. We also have the work with NWT Seniors' Society who provide that information to us, and then we try to work with seniors moving forward. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

Moving onto the question I have: we talk about integrated approach and interdepartmental collaboration, as well. I would assume that all are departments that work together, Justice, ECE, housing, and also, the Minister responsible for Seniors, pertaining to these issues that we are faced with. I would like to know, Mr. Speaker, are there inter-agencies in the communities that deal with these issues, such as senior abuse in the communities, and do all communities have these inter-agencies?

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

It's my understanding that there are inter-agency committees in some of the communities. Health is part of it, ECE, Municipal and Community Affairs, and Housing. They are there; they do have inter-agency meetings. I'm not sure about every community, but I know that there are a number of communities that have that group that works together.

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

The next line of questions is pertaining to enforcement. As you know, a lot of our communities, 10-plus communities, do not have RCMP detachments, so what is the process where an elder or a senior is being verbally or physically abused, especially in communities that do not have an RCMP detachment? What is the process?

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

There are a number of opportunities for elders to reach out. There are emergency protection orders that they can reach out to Justice with the Alison McAteer House, so they are able to go forward with that. They are also able to reach out to the NWT Seniors' Society to help them, and they would give them direction on where they go, as well as working with Health and Social Services staff; they are able to work with them, as well. There are a variety of opportunities. As well, I would also encourage them to reach out to leadership and get them to help them, too, because then they can direct them or help them get the support they need.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Monfwi.

Jackson Lafferty

Jackson Lafferty Monfwi

Masi, Mr. Speaker. As you know, a lot of our community members, especially the elders and seniors, do not speak English, in my communities especially. Obviously, I would like to know if this Minister is committed to providing more of an enhanced educational awareness on programs that are available to our elders, to our seniors, in our language, whether it be broadcasted on CKLB or other programming, because a lot of elders don't know that these programs exist and, if we reach out to them, I think a lot of these issues can be prevented, Mr. Speaker. Masi.

Shane Thompson

Shane Thompson Nahendeh

I would like to thank the Member for that great idea. We will, and I have been working with my colleagues across here, been working to get that information. We do have the Seniors' Handbook, but we can work together to get it into the languages, and as well to try to get it out there in the news, and that, and working there. We are more than willing to work with my colleagues on that issue. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife North.

Rylund Johnson

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. If I have learned one thing in this job, it's that persistence often gets you results. Considering that one third of NWT residents are at high risk of COVID-19, does the Minister have any projections of, if COVID-19 were to spread across our population, how many people would be hospitalized and/or die? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Yellowknife North. I'm guessing the Minister of Health and Social Services.

Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Using the data from the four most recent influenza seasons, there were two years with no influenza deaths and two years with a single influenza death each year in a row. The past four years, we have also had between 14 and 24 influenza-related hospitalizations and between two and seven ICU admissions. It is important to note that approximately 21 percent of the population receives the influenza vaccine, with greater than 50 percent coverage among those 65 years of age and older, who are typically at greater risk for severe disease.

In addition, antivirals for flu treatment are often effective. We do not have a similar treatment for COVID-19 at this time. General estimates are that both 10 percent of unvaccinated adults and 20 percent of unvaccinated children acquire influenza each season. The case fatality rate of influenza in adults is about one in 1,000, resulting in about 3,500 deaths in Canada each year. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Rylund Johnson

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

That was some very helpful influenza data, and I will re-read the Hansard to try to understand it after. Perhaps it could be posted publicly. However, specifically, I'm not just looking for data on influenza; I'm looking for a projection of COVID-19 community spread across our population and the number of hospitalizations or deaths that could result from that.

Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

COVID-19 is a new virus to everybody around the globe. Everyone is susceptible because none of us has had a chance to build our immune system up to it. Without a vaccine and without public health measures to reduce exposure, there is a high probability that the vast majority of NWT residents could acquire COVID-19 in the coming months and years. However, with public health measures that we have in place, it's unlikely that all of the NWT's population will get COVID at the same time or in the same season. That is why it's so important that we stay the course and follow the public health advice and orders that are in place so that we can continue to contain the spread of COVID-19 and keep the curve flat.

The NWT has not experienced any community transmission, so we don't have the data to be able to model how COVID-19 might behave in the Northwest Territories if we did have community transmission, so our modelling efforts are being informed by the experience of places where community transmission has occurred, including those that are similar to the Northwest Territories, like northern regions in other provinces. This will help us get a more realistic idea of how the outbreak might spread.

What we know from other regions that are affected is approximately 80 percent of infections are mild enough to be managed at home; it's about 15 percent who are hospitalized; 5 percent require ICU; and approximately 1 percent die. In the Northwest Territories, this could translate to 450 deaths from COVID-19, so, in order to delay the spread of COVID-19 as much as possible, we put public health measures in place early, before there was any evidence of community transmission, and this has helped us contain the spread of the virus.

Question 329-19(2): COVID-19 and Influenza Data
Oral Questions

June 11th, 2020

Page 1168

Rylund Johnson

Rylund Johnson Yellowknife North

The idea of 450 residents across our very small population dying, I think, is truly a tragic figure that we want to avoid at all costs, and I'm happy to hear that we do not expect, given our public health measures, for everyone to obtain COVID at the same time.

My other question is: one of the main things we have been trying to do is to break the wave, to prevent a surge in our healthcare system. Do we have any current projections or idea of, if we get to that community spread where there are potentially hundreds of people dying, whether other deaths will be caused due to the surge on the healthcare system?

Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

From the beginning of the pandemic, we have encouraged people to continue to seek care for their healthcare needs. It's important that we continue to support the healthcare and wellness of our population, including primary preventative care. We have made significant advances in virtual care to enable people to receive care closer to home. I will get back to the Member with the rest of this question.