N.W.T. reports 1 new case, 7 recoveries from COVID-19 outbreak

Northwest Territories health authoritiesconfirmed one new case of COVID-19 Friday, while reporting seven more recoveries from the disease.

The territory currently has 38active and confirmed cases of COVID-19, not including one at the Diavik Diamond Mine, which involves a non-resident and is therefore not counted toward the total. One case is still listed as probable, meaning it has not yet been confirmed in a laboratory.

The remaining 38 active cases all stem from an outbreak declared May 2 at the city's N.J.Macpherson School. The outbreak forced the closure of schools inYellowknife, Ndilo, Dettah and Behchok and the introduction of mandatory masking rules in those areas.

Schools are now set to reopen Monday after Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Kami Kandola said the territory has "turned a corner" in the pandemic.

More than 2,500 tests have been performed since the beginning of the outbreak, which has forced more than 1,000 residents into isolation. The average age of positive cases is about 8 years old, according to Friday's release, and roughly 64 per cent of cases have been symptomatic.

No one has been hospitalized as a result of the outbreak.