The surge in COVID-19 in Canada’s remote communities imposes new restrictions-nationwide

The latest wave of COVID-19 (new coronavirus infection) As the number of cases explodes, we are pushing the medical resources of some remote communities in Canada to the limit.

Record cases have recently been recorded in many of southern Canada, and many hospitals have reported fewer critically ill patients than in previous waves, as health care workers are much more ill. , The absentee rate is high. Numbers.

These strains are exacerbated in remote communities where access to medical care is already severely restricted.

Bearskin Lake First Nation, a fly-in community in northern Ontario, declared a state of emergency on December 30, when 43 residents tested positive for the virus. By Sunday, 169 people had confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19. This is more than 40 percent of the total population.

“It’s a crisis,” said Derek Fox, Grand Chief of Nishnaube Aski Nation, in an interview.

1:46
COVID-19 Northern community taking precautions after an increase in cases

Bareskin Lake does not have a hospital and is usually served by a nursing station with two nurses. Emergency evacuation takes more than 3 hours for a plane to enter or leave Sioux Lookout or Thunder Bay. This is only if weather permits.

A federal rapid response team consisting of three primary care nurses, an emergency medical personnel and two environmental health officers landed on Lake Bearskin on December 30 to provide more testing capabilities. Two health teachers were also dispatched from the Sioux Lookout First Country Health Department.

Fox said it wasn’t enough for communities that didn’t have hospitals and didn’t even have the ability to determine how sick the infected population was.

“The federal and state governments need to admit that this is a crisis,” Fox said. “They don’t treat this like a crisis. They are waiting for what happens.”

He currently sees cases of COVID-19 in about 12 of the 49 communities of Nišnau Bear Skination, including 169 in Bareskin Lake, and an additional about 80 cases in the other 11 indigenous peoples. He said he was confirming.

Indigenous Services Minister Patty Haidu spoke with Fox on the phone on Sunday, saying Ottawa would help.

“We were there for them, we needed to support them and keep telling us what they needed. We made sure they had those resources in place. I really work hard to do it, “she said.

On Sunday, Hajdu said $ 483,000 was approved to support Lake Bareskin with supplies such as food security, personal protective equipment, funding for COVID workers in the local community, and logging and collection of timber. I did.

She said it would be difficult to even make sure there was wood to burn if so many people were ill and the house was only heated in a wood stove.

Outbreaks in remote areas have also affected the Nunavut Territory, northern Quebec, and Labrador.

Nunavut Territory confirmed another 22 COVID-19 infections on Sunday, bringing the total to 196 in just 10 days.

2:00
Omicron cases surge across Canada

This is more than one-fifth of the COVID-19 cases identified in the region since the pandemic began almost two years ago, and the region’s chief public health officer, Dr. Michael Patterson, said in medical care. It says that it puts a heavy burden on.

“Be patient and kind, as the delays will continue,” he said in a statement released Sunday.

“Keep at home as much as possible and don’t take unnecessary opportunities.”

The Nunavut Territory bans all non-essential trips within its territory and bans non-mandatory trips to and from several communities such as Iqaluit, Rankin Inlet, Arviat, Igloolik and Pangnirtung.

Currently, Nunavik in northern Quebec is also banned from travel until mid-January, allowing only important or essential travel to and from 14 villages in the region.

The Nunavik Community Health and Social Welfare Commission reported 33 new cases of COVID-19 in the week leading up to Christmas and 131 cases between December 27 and December 31.

“The situation is serious,” the Health Commission warned the community in a statement on New Year’s Eve.

On the remote north coast of Labrador, where COVID-19 first appeared last week, leaders are urging residents to be cautious and impose strict travel restrictions on their communities.

Innu’s deputy grand chief, Mary Ann Nui, said in a Facebook post on Sunday that the lack of immediate access to confirmed test results is adding to the stress.

The Natuashish community trapped themselves eight days ago, shortly before Christmas, after being exposed to a flight to town and a potential incident at Trapper’s Cabin’s bar. Nui said no presumed cases have been confirmed yet.

“I think it will take longer to live in the northern region, but it shouldn’t be,” Nui wrote.

In Nain, the northernmost community in Labrador, there are 14 estimated cases, found by rapid testing, but due to lack of supply, it is slow to confirm them by PCR.

State Health Minister Newfoundland and Labrador said tests were being deployed in the region, but increased demand was unpredictable.

Nui said the local health area should have been more prepared.

Newfoundland and Labrador saw a significant increase in COVID-19 cases on Sunday, recording 466 new infections and breaking the daily record set just 24 hours ago in several states. It was one.

Nova Scotia also recorded a new daily peak on Sunday, recording 1,184 cases for the first time since the outbreak of the pandemic, surpassing 1,000 cases per day. The state has reported 1,893 new infections in the last two days.

The two-day count from Prince Edward Island was 137. Public health officials on the island say the total number of infections has nearly tripled in the last two weeks.

Although Ontario’s daily tally fell below record highs on Saturday, it still came in at 16,714, and the state is now showing over 100,000 active infections.

Meanwhile, in Quebec, 15,845 new infections were recorded on Sunday.

See link »