COVID-19 Daily News Digest – November 8th, 2020
Chalkboard to app: Colombia’s indigenous children switch to remote learning
The children use a tablet with an app called O-Lab to study in Spanish and their native wayuunaiki language, which they can use without an internet connection. The tablets are funded by charity World Vision and Colombian bank Banco W.
“The lack of access to technology and the internet has become more evident during the pandemic,” said Tania Rosas, who developed the O-Lab app and co-founded El Origen Foundation.
Election for BC Assembly of First Nations Regional Chief goes virtual
A regional chief and female youth representative will be elected during the assembly’s upcoming 17th annual general meeting via Zoom.
“It is changing times for sure and I know that there are other communities in this great province that had to do something similar — my community one of them,” said Upper Nicola Band Chief Harvey McLeod, who was elected to the BCAFN Board of Directors in October 2017.https://www.keremeosreview.com/news/election-for-bc-assembly-of-first-nations-regional-chief-goes-virtual/
2 new COVID-19 deaths, rising mental health concerns among First Nations, pandemic team says
“What we are seeing consistently is an overrepresentation of First Nations people in case counts, in hospitalizations and in ICUs, which are all indicators both of higher rates of disease but also of increased severity of disease,” Anderson said.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/manitoba-first-nations-covid-19-update-1.5792673
Trudeau says hoped-for COVID-19 vaccine faces distribution hurdles in the new year
Earlier this week the National Advisory Committee on Immunization outlined four key groups that should be prioritized for the COVID-19 vaccine.
Trudeau says those include populations with “a high degree of vulnerability,” such as Indigenous peoples and frontline health workers.
Mural in Kahnawake, Que., honours community health-care workers
“It’s a sign of appreciation [for] teamwork, collaboration, and people who constantly have their patients at heart in everything they do and are working tirelessly,” said Lisa Westaway, executive director at the Kateri Memorial Hospital Centre.
“It was our way of saying thank you because just saying thank you just didn’t feel like it was enough.”
The mural, which was unveiled Nov. 5, is located across the street from the hospital. It was painted by artist/art therapist Megan Kanerahtenháwi Whyte.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/kahnawake-hospital-mural-heath-care-workers-1.5793170