COVID-19 Daily News Digest – May 23, 2020
Northern towns, First Nations mull their own reopenings
The province is currently operating checkpoints restricting non-critical travel throughout Saskatchewan’s northwest. But First Nations throughout the province have put in place their own pandemic plans, which include suspending on-reserve programming and non-essential travel into the communities
https://thestarphoenix.com/news/saskatchewan/northern-towns-first-nations-mull-their-own-reopenings/
Liard First Nation postpones election because of COVID-19 pandemic
“The risk to vulnerable elders, citizens, and knowledge keepers is a direct threat to LFN and Kaska culture,” he wrote.
“Council has decided that this step is necessary and required to protect our people.”
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/liard-first-nation-election-postpone-1.5579220
Officials say checkpoints kept COVID-19 numbers in First Nations low, encourage planning for 2nd wave
“A path forward is needed to address the realities of overcrowding and historic underfunding of health service and access,” she said.
“It is our hope that this pandemic will elevate these realities and result in more collaboration and support from government in ensuring a seamless health service delivery for Indigenous people.”
Measures to stop spread of COVID-19 in First Nations limited by lack of infrastructure: report
“It’s hard to teach the youth about this, too,” she said.
“You can’t tell them not to take a shower or clean themselves because there’s no water. Some of them aren’t [physical] distancing, because they don’t think it’s serious. It’s really hard.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/covid-19-manitoba-first-nations-risk-let-them-eat-cake-1.5578448
Manitoba Hydro pulls majority of workers from Keeyask project amid blockades
Ashton says she received a “reliable report” that a worker was bragging about not self-isolating ahead of going back to work.
“This severely compromises Hydro’s commitment to keep workers and your four First Nations partners safe,” she said in her letter to the Crown corporation’s CEO Jay Grewal, which was published on her website on Friday.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/keeyask-blockade-manitoba-hydro-maintenance-mode-1.5580933
Tataskweyak Cree Nation chief tears up court injunction at Keeyask blockade
Fox Lake Cree Nation, another partner in the multibillion-dollar Keeyask generating station project, issued a state of emergency and locked down its community Tuesday. Members of Fox Lake also created a blockade on the Keeyask south access road.
“I know that people in northern Manitoba and even other across the country are starting to see the message, and they’re encouraging us to continue.”