COVID-19 Daily News Digest – October 9, 2020
No doubt second wave of COVID-19 will hit Indigenous communities harder: Miller
“Given what we have seen in the last two weeks, there is little doubt the second wave of COVID-19 will hit Indigenous communities harder,” Minister of Indigenous Services Marc Miller said Thursday in Ottawa.
“We must take every possible measure to prevent that from happening in our province.”
Leaders and health officials across the country have urged people to stay home over the Thanksgiving long weekend.
Newsroom Ready: Indigenous input needed to address racism in health care: Miller
Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller says the death of Joyce Echaquan in a Quebec hospital after she was subjected to anti-Indigenous slurs shows vividly what Indigenous people can face in provincial health care systems. With COVID-19 cases rising again in Indigenous communities, Miller says it’s urgent that everyone feel safe when they need care.
https://ca.news.yahoo.com/newsroom-ready-indigenous-input-needed-192000581.html
Sask. Northern Inter-Tribal Health Authority warns of COVID exposures at 2 mass gatherings
NITHA, which serves Indigenous communities in northern Saskatchewan, said in a news release that the first exposure happened in Pelican Narrows on Oct. 4 and Oct. 5. The second happened in Waterhen Lake on Oct. 5.
The NITHA said both exposures happened at funerals or wakes.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/nitha-covid-exposures-2-mass-gatherings-1.5755341
Healthy Living: Viruses, adaptation and kindness
How we react to this pandemic will shape our communities now and reverberate through future generations. An increase in densely populated cities will mean viruses can spread more efficiently from host to host.
Science will find a vaccine for COVID-19, nonetheless, we will change, adapt and hopefully behave with community health the primary consideration.
https://www.tricitynews.com/covid-19/healthy-living-viruses-adaptation-and-kindness-1.24217534
Coronavirus: Nearly 70 rapid COVID-19 testing devices deployed to rural and remote communities, officials say
Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller and Dr. Tom Wong, chief medical officer of public health for Indigenous Services Canada, discussed rapid COVID-19 testing on Thursday, saying that Canada has deployed close to 70 devices in rural and remote communities, which are “either in Indigenous communities or very close to them.”
Indigenous leaders, minister to discuss racism in health care as coronavirus cases rise
Miller said the risk that Indigenous people won’t seek care, or an eventual vaccine, for the virus that causes COVID-19 is real if the problems in the health care system are not dealt with.
“Thanks to amazing leadership, Indigenous communities have done exceedingly well during the first wave,” he said, but the number of cases in First Nations communities is at risk of getting out of hand now.
GPRC, TELUS partner to offer WiFi hubs to Indigenous students, those with limited access
“Access to reliable connectivity is crucial in nearly every aspect of our lives and this has never been clearer than amid the current global health crisis,” said Brian Bettis, General Manager – Alberta North, TELUS.
“TELUS remains committed to ensuring Grande Prairie has the resources it needs to thrive.”
To combat COVID, Fort Lewis College embraces Navajo principle of kinship
The overwhelming impact the coronavirus is having on her life prompted her to share with her school in Durango the Diné, or Navajo, concept of K’é, meaning kinship. The philosophy, which Gee said is sacred to the Navajo Nation, is guiding the southwest Colorado college’s response to staying safe during the pandemic.
BREATHE: New message encouraging northern First Nations to get the flu shot
The Keewatinohk Inniniw Minoayawin Inc. (KIM) has released a new video called “Breathe” that will run for 30 days nationwide starting Monday, as a public service announcement.
This video is the first phase of the KIM’s Immunity Wellness campaign designed to promote awareness of minoayawin, which is Cree for wellness, and to encourage northern First Nations in Manitoba to protect their loved ones by getting the flu vaccine in preparation for the influenza seas
Tsuut’ina Nation closes schools, offices following COVID-19 exposure
Early Tuesday morning, Tsuut’ina Nation posted a notice on social media confirming “a COVID-19 infection” following a recent community gathering. Chief and council decided to exceed protocol “to protect Nation citizens.”
“Anytime we have one or more contacts, it can be very hard to reign that back. In and working with First Nations, our concern falls to the number of vulnerable population here that might be more than we’d see in the city,” Fischer said. “We have a larger number of elders we want to keep safe and multi-generational families in homes and want to make sure those in the households are safe too.”