COVID-19 Daily News Digest – January 20, 2020
Grim’ COVID-19 data highlights inequities on Saskatchewan reserves
New data from Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) confirms that fear. As of Monday, there were 13,636 cases confirmed on First Nations reserves across Canada, mostly in the prairies.
Reserves in Saskatchewan have had 3,466 cases. Dr. Ibrahim Khan, ISC’s medical health officer for the province, said more than 1,100 of those cases are active.
“That certainly gives you a very grim… picture of the COVID impact, particularly on First Nations populations on reserve in Saskatchewan,” Khan told Global News.
Montreal wants curfew exemption for homeless after body of Innu man found near shelter
In response to the news, Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador Regional Chief Ghislain Picard is calling on the City of Montreal – and the province of Quebec – to take “immediate action” to prevent similar deaths.
“It’s important to remember the homeless of Montreal – many of them, Indigenous – are facing daily challenges like extreme cold, fear of contracting COVID-19, and the curfew imposed by the Quebec government,” Picard said in a statement posted to Facebook.
Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante, for her part, said Andre’s death was “one too many” within the homeless community.
COVID-19 in Indigenous communities: Over 5,000 active cases in First Nations
An additional $380 million for the Indigenous Community Support Fund was also announced, and $186.8 million over two years is being allocated to support needs and gaps in long-term care facilities.
Indigenous Services Canada said 10 out of 60 long-term care and personal care home on-reserve in Manitoba, Alberta, Ontario, and Quebec have been affected by COVID-19.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/indigenous-covid-19-update-1.5879522
New investigations into the sudden deaths of nine Indigenous people in Thunder Bay nearly complete
The OIPRD report also made a number of recommendations about improving training for officers in the CIB. Walbourne said that’s still ongoing, as the COVID-19 pandemic has hampered some training efforts.
“We are on track to have them trained six months into their placement there,” she said. “However, this is really going to depend on the training availability at [the Ontario Police College], because that is where it occurs.”
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/thunder-bay/oiprd-update-thunder-bay-1.5879393
Three more of Manitoba’s First Nations communities receive COVID-19 vaccine
“I think that we’ve reached a pivotal point in our journey through this pandemic,” he said.
Medical advisor Michael Routledge noted that northern First Nations have seen a notable increase in COVID-19 cases in the last two weeks, attributing the spike to holiday gatherings and underlying factors.
He noted much of the spike is among younger adults aged 20 to 29.