COVID-19 Daily News Digest – July 20, 2020
COVID-19 case reported in Kenora area
The health unit provided no additional details on the case, which it announced via Facebook, saying only that follow-up with the individual was under way, and “anyone who is identified as a contact for this case will be contacted directly.”
https://www.tbnewswatch.com/local-news/covid-19-case-reported-in-kenora-area-2575681
Sask. Opposition questions differing approach to northern, southern COVID outbreaks
He said he was aware that some northern communities requested restrictions earlier this year and that some communities throughout the province had created their own restrictions.
But he was critical of the government’s work with northern communities during the outbreak in La Loche, saying it created a more severe lockdown than what might have been needed.
“That’s been a failure throughout. Municipal leaders, First Nations leaders have made it clear,” Meili said on Friday.
Métis artist creates ‘wash your hands’ posters in 21 Indigenous languages
When she followed up with an email highlighting the importance of including North American Indigenous languages, she received a reply describing a variety of language choices available on the site, including Turkish, Nigerian Pidgin and Hindi — but no Indigenous languages from North America.
“Just the disconnect really frustrated me. I didn’t understand what was going on there. So when in doubt, do it yourself,” said Gray, who instead posted her pieces on her website for free download in April.
Months later, after CBC Ottawa reached out for comment to Talenthouse, the company got in touch with Gray to ask for translations of the messages, with a plan to include them in an upcoming North American collection.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/21-languages-covid-art-1.5645150
COVID-19 crisis could increase food insecurity among minority communities: studies
According to the Hamilton Project, a Washington, DC-based think tank, 14 million children went hungry in June – 10 million more than in 2018. Feeding America projects the total number of children suffering from food insecurities could top 18 million by the end of 2020.
Brazil Health Workers May Have Spread Coronavirus to Indigenous People
More than 1,000 workers with the federal Indigenous health service, known as Sesai, have tested positive for coronavirus as of early July, a freedom of information request and interviews with union representatives found.
Working without adequate protective equipment or access to enough tests, these workers may have inadvertently endangered the very communities they were trying to help, medical workers and Indigenous leaders said.
Why Can’t the Parks Board Get Overnight Camping Laws Right?
On July 14, the Vancouver Park Board approved new bylaws that will allow homeless people to camp overnight in some parts of city parks, so long as they clear out every morning. The Board recognized that its current bylaws, which ban camping in parks, are unconstitutional and must change.By perpetuating the cycle of daily displacement, laws like Vancouver’s prioritize housed citizens’ recreation over unhoused citizens’ survival.
https://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2020/07/20/Parks-Board-Overnight-Camping-Laws/
Boil water advisories still in effect in three First Nations communities
Boil water advisories (BWA) in three Manitoba First Nations communities are still in the process of elimination since the 2015 federal election campaign.
During that campaign, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised to eliminate all long-term water advisories on First Nations by March 2021. Since that time, there were 12 long-term advisories in First Nations communities in Manitoba alone.
The three communities that are still under the BWA are Tataskweyak Cree Nation, Shamattawa First Nation and Wuskwi Sipihk First Nation.
Pandemic deals major financial, cultural blow to Michigan tribes
Although that’s roughly double the percentage of Native Americans as a portion of the state’s population, tribal leaders from around West Michigan told MiBiz they can point to only a handful of cases involving their tribal citizens being affected by the highly communicable virus.
Instead, they say the most devastating effects of the pandemic for their tribes have been the economic and cultural toll they’ve suffered as a result.