Caroline Cochrane

Mr. Speaker, in a crisis, consistent and timely communications are crucial. The Government of the Northwest Territories understands the critical role of communications as part of our pandemic response. It helps create safer behaviours, greater community solidarity, and, in the end, improved health outcomes.

Mr. Speaker, we have said right from the start of the pandemic that our priority is to protect the health and well-being of residents. That is why the COVID-19 Coordinating Secretariat is using every tool at their disposal to connect with residents across the Northwest Territories. In the...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I will answer that question, and then I will turn it back to my deputy minister, if appropriate. My notes said $6 million, but she has a different figure. What I would like to say is that right now we got money in bundle 1 from the federal government, and we are just getting bundle 3 for this fiscal year from the federal government. At this point, we are at about 80 percent of our funding for the COVID secretariat being supported by the federal government.

The other thing that I would like to say with that is that the federal government has stated over and over that COVID...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I will take that as a comment, and the Member is going to follow up.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The enforcement task team, I will turn over to the deputy minister to get more on the RCMP officers, but there were qualifications that were needed with the enforcement, Mr. Chair. The task force enforcement team are literally knocking on people's doors and handing out verbal warnings, written warnings, or tickets. It was really critical that we have people who have some kind of training in enforcement to ensure the safety of residents and the safety of our enforcement team. Mr. Chair, I can turn it over to our deputy minister to speak more on how many are ex-RCMP. Thank...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. As stated earlier, the enforcement is probably, of all the duties of the COVID secretariat, is one of the most at-risk because they are actually giving out verbal warnings, written warnings, or tickets, and people don't always take that very, very well. Yes, Mr. Chair, no enforcement officer is going to either knocking on doors or in businesses or anywhere, other than that two phone calls, on their own. We always send two members. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. With me today, I have Mr. Russell Neudorf, the associate deputy minister of the COVID secretariat, and Ms. Jeannie Mathison, the director of finance with Health and Social Services. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Can I get clarification in the question again?

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I am going to ask the Minister of Health and Social Services if we're testing for the variants on every test that we do for COVID now. Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. My understanding is that they are paying it directly. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I do know that the isolation centres do fall within that line item, but for more clarification, I would like to turn it to Ms. Mathison.