COVID-19 Daily News Digest – November 3, 2020
The latest on COVID-19 cases and outbreaks in Manitoba
A total of 24 Manitoba First Nations have reported cases of COVID-19 since the pandemic began, according to the Assembly of Manitoba First Nations and the Manitoba First Nations COVID-19 Pandemic Response Coordination Team, although the organizations won’t specify which ones.
Most of those communities — 17 in total — had active cases as of Friday, the most recent day for which data is available.
As of Friday, there were 516 active cases of COVID-19 among First Nations people in the province, the pandemic response team says. The most recent data from the federal First Nations and Inuit Health Branch says 171 of those cases are on-reserve.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/manitoba-covid-19-cases-outbreaks-latest-numbers-1.5786952
16 workers at Keeyask test positive for COVID-19, another 15 given ‘not clear’ result: MB Hydro
AMC Grand Chief Arlen Dumas also called for more transparency from Manitoba Hydro, demanding that the Crown corporation give chiefs with from neighbouring First Nations the info and resources they need.
He said AMC is concerned about the testing and isolation methods Manitoba Hydro has implemented, as neighbouring First Nations haven’t been privy to that information.
“As First Nations we will do what is reasonable and realistic within our homes to self isolate as mandated by our leadership and public health professionals, however, First Nations demand that Manitoba Hydro be forthcoming about the extent of the outbreak, with the testing data and numbers of workers currently on site at Keeyask,” he said.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/keeyask-covid-19-mko-1.5786545
Natural Resources Canada officials highlight Indigenous engagement during panel discussion
“For our Indigenous procurement conferences we are considering moving to online webinars as well as creating video vignettes with Indigenous leaders in the meantime,” Vello said. “We are looking at alternative ways to deliver workshops that will provide regional contexts and local resources on mineral exploration and development for community (economic development officers) and land managers.”
Economic recovery during pandemic slower for Indigenous people: Statistics Canada
“While Indigenous and non-Indigenous people were initially similarly impacted by employment declines and rising unemployment, labour market conditions have since been more challenging among Indigenous people,” a summary report from StatCan reads.
The new data shows an early picture of how pandemic recovery differs across communities. Between a period of three months before the pandemic to the end of May, the unemployment rate of both Indigenous and non-Indigenous groups saw sharp increases of more than six percentage points, bringing unemployment for Indigenous people off-reserve to 16.6 per cent, compared to 11.7 per cent for non-Indigenous people.
Sask. far north’s COVID-19 response lauded in report from Canada’s top doctor
As Chief Public Health Officer Theresa Tam writes in her report on the state of public health in Canada, when an Outbreak was declared in La Loche in April, it was the first in a remote northern community anywhere in the nation.
At the time an epidemiologist called the outbreak the ‘most concerning’ in Canada.
Southwestern First Nations see new funding to address critical needs during pandemic
“We are pleased to have support from Indigenous Services Canada to ensure our children and youth are receiving great nutritious meals, but they are also getting exposure to healthy Indigenous-based diets and hopefully inspiring families to think about creative Indigenous-based meal planning in the future,” says Atlohsa Executive Director Raymond Deleary.
The Caldwell First Nation will use the funding to create “custom stay-at-home gardening kits,” says Economic Development Officer Kyra Cole. The kits will include raised garden beds and potting essentials, garden supplies such as gloves, shears, gardening forks, etc., soil and fertilizer and seeds of various kinds.
First Nations, Métis groups rebuke Pallister government
Manitoba’s test positivity rate among First Nations is 11 per cent now, while the provincial average is 8.6 per cent, according to the secretariat.
But for Métis, the story is different. The Manitoba Metis Federation is aware of only one case of COVID-19 among its people. And David Chartrand, president of the federation. said that’s because the province is not communicating. He said there is no data system available to show illness or deaths among Métis.
“So because there’s no relationship with the province, it was word of mouth directly to us by one of our citizens … We’re supporting her,” Chartrand said about the one case the federation is aware of.
https://ca.news.yahoo.com/first-nations-m-tis-groups-045155480.html
SCO grand chief calls on province, feds to commit and fast-track First Nations COVID-19 response funding
“Let me be very clear, our lives are literally on the line,” Southern Chiefs’ Organization Grand Chief Jerry Daniels said in a news release Monday. “It is obvious at the provincial level that the pandemic response is beyond inadequate and now our critical care resources are on the verge of collapse.”
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/manitoba-pallister-government-covid-19-second-wave-1.5787223