A remote First Nation community in the Sioux Lookout area says roughly half of their members are currently infected with COVID-19 after a major outbreak, and are calling on the federal government’s immediate support.
Bearskin Lake First Nation declared a state of emergency due to an outbreak of COVID-19 infections on December 29. By January 3, 174 individuals had tested positive for the virus – representing about half of the community’s total population.
In a prepared release, Chief Lefty Kamenawatamin says the community’s day-to-day operations are crippled, as infections have reached administrative and essential staff of the band’s administration, operations and maintenance units.
“The virus is vicious and does not discriminate,” said Chief Kamenawatamin. “Our babies and children, mothers and Elders have all been hit. We are reeling at the speed of the spread of this potentially deadly disease. This outbreak has stretched our resources and our capacity to the point of breaking.”
The community’s release adds that Bearskin Lake already deals with a poorly resourced public healthcare system with few nurses, severe overcrowding and no space to operate testing or isolation centres – compounding the issue.
As it stands, the majority of households are under quarantine and require food and water delivery, chopped wood for heating and medication to relieve symptoms.
Chief Kamenawatamin is calling for outside healthcare and other workers to help operate the community’s crisis care system, and daily flights in and out of the community carrying crisis personnel is essential. They are also calling for the Canadian Armed Forces to assist.
In response, federal Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu says her ministry is working with Bearskin Lake, the Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority, Windigo Mental Health and the Northwestern Health Unit to support community members.
ISC has deployed a Rapid Response team out of Thunder Bay, primary care nurses, paramedics and environmental health officers to provide surge capacity, while SLFNHA has deployed two public health nurses and Windigo has deployed a home care nurse.
As well, Hajdu says Indigenous Services has approved two funding allotments totalling about $900,000 to assist, on top of the $3.9 million Bearskin Lake has received to fight COVID-19 since March of 2020.
“I’ve spoken personally with Chief Kamenawatamin as well as Grand Chief Derek Fox of the Nishnawbe Aski Nation to check-in and confirm that the supports they’ve requested are arriving and are provided, and to make sure that we will continue to be there for the community,” said Hajdu, in a January 4 news conference.
Hajdu says the new funding will go towards food security, personal protective equipment, additional local community COVID-19 workers, perimeter security, essential supplies, mental health and wellness, social programs, early learning, infrastructure, childcare and wood cutting and collection needed to heat homes in the community.
Bearskin Lake First Nation is located 425 kilometres north of Sioux Lookout on Lake Michikan. It’s accessible by air throughout the year and by ice roads in the winter.
As of January 5, 2022, the Northwestern Health Unit is reporting 165 active cases of COVID-19 in the Sioux Lookout Health Hub area. As well, the Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority is reporting a total of 211 active cases of the virus in their catchment area.