Yes, thank you. I'm not sure whether those conversations have been had. We do have a help line, an NWT Help Line now. I don't know if the scope includes patient navigation. But I think this question would be best directed to the deputy minister, please. Thank you.
Debates of March 9th, 2022
This is page numbers 3897 - 3946 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 know.
Topics
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Cooper
Yes, so we are going to take the opportunity to look at this 8-1-1 service over the next few months. It certainly has been highly valued. We've been -- there's work happening with the health authority to strengthen the connection between nursing and the operators on that line, and we're certainly aware of the way 8-1-1 gets used in other jurisdictions as a valuable service that helps sometimes keep people away from primary care or emergency rooms. And we are looking to see whether there might be a business case for that going forward, and we would consider it in the context of business planning. Thank you.
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The Chair Lesa Semmler
Thank you. Are there any further questions under the COVID Secretariat? Member for Kam Lake.
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Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Just a couple of questions. And further to what my colleague for Yellowknife North was speaking of, I remember when 8-1-1 first came online and the reception of having that service from constituents was very positive. And to me, when I speak about integrated service delivery, I get very excited about something like this because this might be as close as we get to integrated service delivery in the -- in the near future. And so I definitely look forward to more conversations about what the potential future is of the 8-1-1 brand.
One of my questions is Mr. Neudorf spoke about the reduction of the staff complement for the COVID Secretariat, but the numbers within the main estimates remain unchanged. I'm just wondering if the Minister can address that. Thank you.
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Julie Green Yellowknife Centre
Yes, thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, the main estimates are prepared in the fall and a lot has happened since then. We've finished the delta outbreak; we had the omicron outbreak; and now we're moving towards the end of the public health emergency. And so the staff complement, which Mr. Neudorf referred to earlier, is going to be reduced and the bulk of the staff will be moved into the Department of Health and Social Services working in the Office of the Chief Public Health Officer and in Population Health. However, there will be also four positions that will be moved into MACA and a point-five position being moved into ENR. So what we're looking at going forward is 16.5 jobs that started with the COVID Secretariat being reprofiled and brought into different departments depending on the focus of the work.
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Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. No, and I think that's great information for people to have, and I think that if now is an appropriate time to ask that, people's interest may have been perked by the point five position from ENR. And so I'm wondering, even though this is not an ENR section, if the Minister can speak to that. Thank you.
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Julie Green Yellowknife Centre
Yes, thank you. The point-five position in ENR and one full-time position in MACA have to do with wastewater surveillance. We've experienced good results from having wastewater surveillance in communities across the NWT as an early warning sign that COVID is present in the population. And so we plan to continue that program and have staff in MACA and ENR run the program. Thank you.
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Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake
Thank you very much, Madam Chair, and thank you to the Minister for that clarification. I know that the wastewater testing has received a really good national recognition as well so kudos to the department for their work there.
My next question is in regards to fees and payments. I see that that has been cut by about a third. I'm wondering if the Minister can provide clarity around what is included in the $4.2 million. Thank you.
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Julie Green Yellowknife Centre
Yes, thank you. The bulk of this spending is related to isolation centres. Even though we have cut back the availability of isolation centres, there will still be a need for medically-assisted self-isolation. So we continue to carry this line item primarily associated with isolation centres. Thank you.
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Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. I know over the course of the pandemic a lot has changed about what is funded or isn't funded, and so I'm wondering if from here on out, as the Minister said, medically-advised isolation, if isolation will only be provided when it is determined necessary, then, by the Chief Public Health Officer, or if the Minister can address kind of what the policy will be. And I don't know if they're prepared now, and I understand if they're not, given that we are still under a public health emergency but if that will be -- how that policy will be determined. Thank you.
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Julie Green Yellowknife Centre
Yes, thank you. For that kind of policy detail, I think it would be helpful to hear from Mr. Neudorf. Thank you.
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Neudorf
Yes, thank you, Madam Chair. I can kind of speak to what's happening now around medically-advised self-isolation and what's been happening for the last little while.
So two reason -- generally two reasons why individuals need to stay in an isolation centre. One is if they need it -- were directed there because of an order following travel. And in the last few months it was because they needed to isolate before they went into a small community so the isolation centres were set up for that. But most of the use, actually, in the last few months, and particularly with the omicron outbreak, was around medically-advised self-isolation. So that's when, because of a positive -- typically a positive COVID test, they were directed into isolation because of -- by a public health official and they could not do that safely at home and so then the advice was to come into an isolation centre, and it was -- that service was provided by the COVID Secretariat.
The other big use was around the vulnerable population and with cases in there that they did not have a safe place to isolation, then they were taken into the isolation centres.
For the month of March now, where the requirement to isolate after travel is no longer in the order, so we're not -- no longer need to operate the isolation centres for travelers, but they are still there and available. We've kept kind of one or two -- one staff person available so that we can just assist when there still is a requirement for medically-advised self-isolation. And this is kind of pretty extreme cases. We're not getting a lot. In fact, I think the first day we kind of had three calls about it. And then in the last week, we have not had any requirements for medically-advised self-isolation following. So given as omicron cases continue to come down, we would expect the requirement for this medically-advised self-isolation would continue to decline. And into the future what happens after the end of the public health emergency, I guess that would be at the direction of the Chief Public Health Officer and any isolation requirements from her and her office. Thank you.
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Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake
Thank you very much, Madam Chair. So just to confirm, we may find that this line item might be, by quite a bit, underspent depending on what happens with COVID and advice of the Chief Public Health Officer then, is that correct?
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Julie Green Yellowknife Centre
Yes, thank you. This is an estimate, of course. And the thing is that it could be out, and there could be a surplus in here. But if there is a community outbreak, let's say in Yellowknife because it has the largest vulnerable population, that money could be gobbled up pretty quickly with having the vulnerable population housed in isolation centres. But we're erring on the side of caution and just waiting to see what the spring brings.