Chisasibi youth, close contact diagnosed with COVID-19

A youth from Chisasibiand a close contact are the latest Quebec Cree to be diagnosed with COVID-19 bringing thetotal to six.

The young person is a patient of the Cree health board and had travelled to Montreal for a medical appointment and then back to Chisasibi, the largest of the Cree communities, before being diagnosed while in self-isolation.

After the diagnosis was confirmed, the youth was medevacedto Centre hospitalier universitaire Sainte-Justine, a children's hospital in Montreal, as a precaution because of underlying health conditions.

"He was medevaceda couple of day ago," said Chisasibi Chief Davey Bobbish in a video message on the community's Facebook page Monday.

He was medevaced a couple of days ago.- Davey Bobbish, Chisasbi Chief said on Monday

"This confirmed case is in Montreal being well taken care of."

OnTuesday, the community confirmed a close contact of the youth had also tested positive and was also in isolation.

Contact-tracing has been done for both people and all close contacts are in isolation, according to Bobbish and a joint release from the Cree Nation Government and Cree Board of Health and Social Services of James Bay.

These latest cases bringthetotal to six Cree in Quebec who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 five in the territory and one in Montreal.

In the territory, there have been three cases diagnosed in Chisasibi, located 1,400 kilometres north of Montreal and two others in the Cree community of Nemaska, some 500 kilometres south of there. The two cases in Nemaska were related to travel tothe Dominican Republic.

1st Cree patient doing well

The first Cree patient in Quebec was diagnosedwith COVID-19 on March 24.

That patient is doing well despite underlying health conditions, according to the director of public health for the Cree Board of Health and Social Services of James Bay.

"Someone who had diabetes and renal failure [and is] on dialysis, this person is very well," said Faisca Richer.

The board said Monday that 127 tests for COVID-19 have been carried out so far,with 88 coming back negative. Thirty-five peopleare still waiting for results.