Covid-19 Daily News Digest – April 16, 2020
COVID-19: Cameco pledges $1 million fund for charities, communities
First Nations band offices, non-profits, charities and town offices in northern Saskatchewan as well as Saskatoon will be eligible for a one-time $50,000 grant from the company, which Cameco president and chief executive officer Tim Gitzel said is its way of giving back
Atikokan mine worker tests positive for COVID-19
In response to a question by CBC Radio Thunder Bay, Dr. Gemmill confirmed the Atikokan case is related to the COVID-19 outbreak which has infected at least six workers at the Lac Des Iles mine site located about 90 km northwest of Thunder Bay. The workers are now in isolation either at home or at the mine site.
COVID-19 – The AFNQL is concerned about resuming mining operations
We judge that Quebec’s decision to allow the resumption of mining operations in a hurry is dangerously compromising the efforts made by our communities to slow the spread of the disease in the regions. In this regard, the movement and comings and goings (fly-in/fly-out) of mining workers is of great concern. I would also like to reiterate that the pandemic does not exempt governments from their duty to consult”, added the Chief of the AFNQL
Regina dog rescue fundraising efforts halted by COVID-19
CC RezQs, a non-profit organization that rescues, rehabilitates and re-homes stray dogs from First Nations and rural communities, relies solely on donations and fundraisers.
But in the age of social-distancing and self-isolation, those fundraisers aren’t possible.
Whiteduck and Co.: COVID-19 shows need to support Indigenous and non-profit telcos connecting remote communities
These and other Indigenous service providers struggle with limited access to the transport networks and mobile spectrum that connect their communities to the rest of the country. They must contend with high prices for bandwidth and residential services, including data caps. They are charged ever-increasing fees for equipment upgrades and installation, and to access hydro poles on which to hang fibre optic cables.
Cooperation a key to Battlefords area success during COVID-19
“It is an unprecedented amount of communication and collaboration,” he said. “What we are seeing is a number of different governments, whether it’s Indigenous government, municipal government and the provincial government all working together for a common cause. I really think it is important for people to know that,” he added.
Brokenhead Ojibway Nation to hold band election this week with COVID-19 precautions
“If they cancelled or postponed, it may have caused issues within the community,” said Galvin.
“I heard other communities worried about governance gaps. I think those issues may have arisen if they would have waited.”
https://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/brokenhead-band-council-election-coronavirus-1.5533722
Erie Shores HealthCare approved for COVID-19 assessment centre
Erie Shores HealthCare has been approved to open a COVID-19 assessment centre at the hospital starting Thursday at 8 a.m. The centre, which was approved by Ontario Health, will operate between 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily with the potential to expand hours based on demand.
COVID-19: Let’s prevent, not chase, the illness for those who are unsheltered and inadequately housed
Communities are decrying the overcrowded and unhealthy conditions in which homeless people are forced to live—conditions that will enhance the spread of COVID-19. So why do we continue to embrace inadequate emergency responses such as more homeless shelters or housing people only when symptomatic? That is not prevention; that is second-class care.
The United Nations Rapporteur on Housing said on March 18 that “housing is first-line defence against coronavirus”, and never has housing been such a matter of life and death.
Nogojiwanong Indigenous Fringe Festival postponed to June 2021
The inaugural Nogojiwanong Indigenous Fringe Festival that had been scheduled for June in Peterborough has been postponed to June 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, organizers announced Wednesday.
Harsh policing and big fines don’t make people safer from COVID-19: criminologists
“…ticketing people disproportionately hurts those who don’t have room to comfortably self-isolate or who haven’t been properly educated about the spread of COVID-19.
COVID-19 could mean we lose and surveillance capitalists win — again
Similarly, just as 9/11 saw governments gain powers that some abused for long after, COVID-19 could see governments get new tracking powers that could unfairly impact communities like Black Canadians and Indigenous peoples, who are currently overrepresented in Canada’s justice system.
Financial Support to Get KPU Students Through COVID-19
SAFA also provides Indigenous financial assistance. This is emergency assistance for Indigenous students who are enrolled in a full-time or part-time program, in good academic standing, and who have demonstrated financial need. The maximum amount given is $700 per academic year.
UPDATE: COVID-19, April 15
Indigenous Emergency Assistance Fund: This funding is reserved for Indigenous students experiencing financial hardship. Funding is limited and reserved for Indigenous students who are currently enrolled at VIU. Include your full name and student number in email and send to sas@viu.ca by April 20, 2020.
https://news.viu.ca/update-covid-19-april-15
Indigenous COVID-19 Task Force seeks to help most vulnerable
The task force is also helping Indigenous members of the homeless population, which presents unique challenges, including a lack of information about the various assistance that might be available or access to the updates provided daily by public health officials.
https://calgaryherald.com/news/indigenous-covid-19-task-force-seeks-to-help-most-vulnerable/
Province injects $53M more into mental health for COVID response
$25 million for a new community grant program to enhance community mental health and addiction recovery for the public, including Indigenous communities, seniors, families and people experiencing social barriers, who are negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Petition calls for coronavirus support in remote Indigenous communities in Canada
“We’re in a crisis right now,” Banerji said. “It’s an impending crisis that could happen in these Indigenous communities and we don’t want what’s happening in these long-term care facilities to happen there so we need to act now to prevent that from happening.”
When you just need a moment, Indigenous women’s organization encourages self-affirmation
“We’ve seen a very positive response,” Hart told APTN News. “It’s opened up our clientele. We saw women who just needed it, who needed to be a part of something that they know and that they rely on every month that builds strength and unity and brings them closer to their spiritual self.”
‘Dangerously compromising’: Quebec mining sector reopening a concern for Indigenous leaders
“I would also like to reiterate that the pandemic does not exempt governments from their duty to consult,” Picard said in the release.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/mines-quebec-covid-ghislain-picard-abel-bosum-1.5533675
Provinces show signs curve is flattening, but experts still wary
“Nunavut has a highly spread out population and because of the cold weather, people tend to stay inside and are less likely to get together because the infrastructure isn’t there,” Carr said. She added that a combination of lack of healthcare, overcrowded housing and challenges accessing healthy food if Canada’s supply chain is disrupted would create spikes in Indigenous case numbers.
U of T researcher’s COVID-19 social media broadcast to tackle questions of ‘race, place and class’
“In Detroit, African-Americans make up 14 per cent of the population, but account for 40 per cent of COVID-19 hospitalizations and 70 per cent of the deaths,” Voisin tells U of T News. “There’s no reason to think that dynamic would play out differently in Canada, particularly in Indigenous populations.
“What this crisis is bringing to the forefront is that systems of health care and opportunity diverge based on race, place and class.”
‘Funeral’ protest staged at Burnaby tank farm over social distancing
“We are here showing Trans Mountain what social distancing truly looks like by separating ourselves within our logos because the facility is not practicing its own distancing protocols,” read a statement from the group. “They are risking workers’ lives, those of the community and of the true essential service workers. It is imperative that these construction sites are shut down during the pandemic.”
App launched to keep midwestern Ontario up to date on COVID-19
“There is a lot of information in a lot of different places, and we wanted to have a trusted source for people in our counties to find the health and other information relevant to them,” says Christopher Mercanti, manager of community and Indigenous relations at Bruce Power.
https://london.ctvnews.ca/app-launched-to-keep-midwestern-ontario-up-to-date-on-covid-19-1.4897633
Canadian Human Rights Commission on racism amid COVID-19: ‘We are not safe unless we are all safe
“Racism and xenophobia are also contributing to misinformation during a global health crisis,” said Landry. “Viruses do not have borders. Viruses do not discriminate. People do.”
Landry emphasized that, as a country built upon the values of diversity, inclusion and freedom, Canada should not tolerate these types of racist attacks, and should instead demonstrate cooperation, solidarity and unity.
Canada’s COVID-19 response demands human-rights oversight
There is a vital global dimension to this. Around the world, we have already seen autocratic leaders use COVID-19 as a pretext for repression. Canada has, importantly, called on governments everywhere to recognize that “protecting public health and respecting human rights are not mutually exclusive.” Committing to human-rights oversight of our own COVID-19 response is a powerful way to put that into practice.
The Sprout: Trudeau announces more investments to feed Canada’s food supply chain during COVID-19
Alberta is restricting off-highway use of vehicles to prevent a major wildfire from breaking out while the province is fighting COVID-19. CBC News reports that according to Agriculture and Forestry Minister Devin Dreeshen, bans – which exclude off-highway vehicle use for industrial, energy and agricultural purposes, as well as by Indigenous people for traditional activities – apply starting today.
P57.5-B already distributed to 934 LGUs for Covid-19 response
The government has implemented a Social Amelioration Program (SAP) which allows the distribution of cash aid ranging from PHP5,000 to PHP8,000 to around 18 million poor families.
Those who are eligible to receive cash aid are underprivileged, homeless, indigent, and indigenous families.
Canada lacks data needed to make future decisions about relaxing COVID-19 measures: experts
The current testing regime in the province identifies ‘priority groups,’ including hospital inpatients; long-term care and retirement home residents; healthcare workers; remote, isolated, rural and Indigenous communities; congregate living centres; vulnerable individuals and designated essential workers.
Canada earmarks aid for indigenous communities to prepare for coronavirus
“Nunavut is chronically underfunded, and we cannot be expected to deal with this new global reality from behind the starting line,” said Nunavut Premier Joe Savikataaq.
“Unfortunately, this funding comes four weeks after our initial request, and the lag has now put us weeks behind in potential staffing and accessing supplies in a market that cannot accommodate delays,” he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in an email.
Eabametoong chief says there was delay in contact tracing on community’s 1st COVID-19 case
Yesno said only two nurses came with the team and the other four people arrived to help with contact tracing and training in the use of personal protective equipment. He also said a flight scheduled to pick up samples for testing on April 9 failed to land because of weather.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/eabametoong-coronavirus-contact-tracing-1.5532257