COVID-19 Daily News Digest – May 11, 2020
Easing COVID-19 restrictions too soon could jeopardize vulnerable communities
“I understand the economic pressures we’re all under and I understand people do want to go outside. But we need to do it in ways that we are sure are going to keep people safe, because the last thing that people want is a few weeks from now (is) being told, ‘OK, we loosened the rules and now COVID’s spreading again and you’re all going to have go inside for the rest of the summer.’”
Violence against Indigenous women during COVID-19 sparks calls for MMIWG plan
Whitman says many shelters and sexual assault centres in the country are not run for or by Indigenous people, which is why many First Nations, Inuit and Métis women won’t access them, even if they’re in trouble.
“They don’t have that comfort zone there and they’re not culturally influenced or inclusive of the Indigenous values that we have and our traditions and ceremonies.”
History of inequality making COVID-19 worse for Native Americans
“Native access to healthcare is unacceptably limited and the fault lies with the U.S. government, which continues to fail its treaty obligation to provide healthcare to Native peoples,” said Shannon Keller O’Loughlin, a citizen of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and executive director and attorney for the Association on American Indian Affairs. “The conditions that are killing Native Americans now have existed for a long time, and have been unacceptable for a long time.”
COVID-19 numbers from provincial, First Nations data sharing agreement won’t be made public without consent
“This information sharing agreement is the first of its kind in Canada, and respects the principles of data ownership, control, access and possession and First Nations data sovereignty,” Roussin said in a news release Tuesday.
Roussin has so far refused to share information collected under the agreement publicly. In multiple news conferences this week, Roussin said data won’t be released unless First Nations groups give consent.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/manitoba-first-nations-data-covid-19-1.5560706
First Nations COVID-19 cases undercounted, says AFN national chief
“I fear that there are already far more cases among our people than we currently know,” said Bellegarde, in testimony before the House of Commons Indigenous and Northern Affairs Committee Friday.
“Unfortunately, largely due to gaps in co-ordination and information sharing with the federal government and the provinces and territories, First Nations do not have access to reliable sources of information that tracks infections among First Nations.”
https://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/indigenous-leaders-covid19-data-testing-1.5562555
Saskatchewan halts alcohol sales in northern community to control COVID-19
The government says the Ministry of Health and Saskatchewan Health Authority will support La Loche to identify and assist people at risk of harm due to alcohol withdrawal, and will also supply more alcohol addictions program supports.