Everyone at Yellowknife's sobering centre Sept. 9-11 required to isolate

A COVID-19 exposure notice issued for the sobering centre in Yellowknife directs everyone who was at the space regardless of vaccination status on Thursday, Friday or Saturday to isolate.

The N.W.T. Office of the Chief Public Health Officer (OCPHO) notice, which came out late Sunday, says all individuals that have been at the sobering centre should also arrange for COVID-19 testing.

It also notes a shift in public health recommendations past exposure notices have usually only required people who are unvaccinated or partially vaccinated to isolate.

The notice says anyone who can't isolate themselves from others should contact the COVID-19 secretariat at 867-446-4863.

This comes after the sobering centre was closed indefinitelySaturday night because of an escalating outbreak of the virus, and after the combined day shelter was closed Thursday night for the same reason.

The Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority said on Saturday that it was unable to open an emergency shelter because of capacity constraints related to the outbreak.

On Tuesday, Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Kami Kandola said 19 people experiencing homelessness and 10 shelter support workers had tested positive for COVID-19 since mid-August.

A spokesperson for the COVID-19 secretariat told CBC News on Saturday that public health would no longer report how many people experiencing homelessness tested positive for the virus or had been hospitalized.