COVID-19 Daily News Digest – December 5, 2020
Manitoba First Nations disproportionately hit by COVID-19 with 11 deaths, 625 cases in past week
The secondary attack rate — a measure of how many people are likely to contract COVID-19 after being a close contact with a positive case — is about 16 per cent for all of Manitoba, she said. That means in the general population, roughly 16 in 100 close contacts tend to end up with the illness.
But in First Nations, that number is around 40 per cent, she said.
“That is a very staggering percentage and it’s important to have an appreciation of that,” said AMC Grand Chief Arlen Dumas.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/manitoba-first-nations-covid19-update-december-12-1.5828906
Alberta COVID-19 vaccine plan promising, but more data disclosure would build trust: experts
“We need to be very transparent, very clear with the science and clear with the data so people can have trust in science in this area, and that these vaccines, when they go into people, will be very safe and very effective,” he said in an interview Thursday with CBC’s Edmonton AM. Phase 1 of Alberta’s vaccine rollout is projected to happen in the first three months of 2021. Phase 1 will focus on the province’s most at-risk populations including long-term care home residents, staff in these facilities, on-reserve First Nations people and other health-care workers
Regulators deny First Nations’ request to delay Enbridge’s Line 3 pipeline replacement in Minnesota
The Red Lake and White Earth Bands of Chippewa asked the independent Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to stay its earlier approval of the project, citing pending litigation before the Minnesota Court of Appeals.
Attorneys for the two northern Minnesota First Nations argued that allowing construction to continue would cause irreparable harm should the court rule in their favour.
First Nations group calls for resignation of Saskatchewan’s minister of corrections
“Minister Tell has fumbled the ball in her role as minster responsible to Saskatchewan correctional facilities,” said National Vice-Chief Kim Beaudin on Dec. 3. “This requires leadership with a level of foresight and compassion that is lacking in her public response to COVID-19.”
Premier seeks to divide province with incendiary comments on vaccine, First Nations: Sinclair
Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister’s comments regarding vaccine distribution at his news conference on Thursday are inflammatory and divisive.
He basically said, “If you don’t get vaccine right away, blame the Indians.”
I didn’t hear him say, “If you don’t get vaccine right away, blame the old people in personal-care homes.” Or “Blame the front-line workers.”
Carry The Kettle First Nation locking down to deal with COVID-19 outbreak
Carry the Kettle currently has eight active cases and is one of 18 outbreaks declared on First Nations in Saskatchewan.
Band members are allowed to leave the First Nation for essentials, like groceries or medication, but Chief Brady O’Watch said a family of several households could nominate a grocery shopper to help limit the number of individuals leaving.
COVID vaccine distribution must prioritize Indigenous communities: FSIN
“First and foremost … we come from that inherent and treaty right aspect, that Treaty Right to Health,” he said. “In there, there’s what we call the Medicine Chest Clause. When our ancestors signed treaties in the eighteen and nineteen-hundreds, that guaranteed us health and medicine chest supplies and services.”
The FSIN has spent the last seven months lobbying the federal government on this topic. Cameron said this is an important way of keeping Indigenous people at the forefront of policy decisions.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/fsin-vaccine-priority-1.5828417