Encouraging signs in the fight against COVID-19 in Cree communities

There are encouraging signs in the fight against a COVID-19 outbreak in northern Quebec Cree communities.

There is no sign of community transmission in any of the Cree communities so far, and there hasn't been any new COVID-19 cases in Ouj-Bougoumou for the last three days, suggesting the spread is contained in that community, according to Cree public health.

Officials were updated Monday on the situation in Ouj-Bougoumou and Mistissini, which have been dealing with an outbreak linked to gatherings and parties held over the new year.

The latest numbers show a total of 52 cases of COVID-19 confirmed since Jan.7 in Mistissini and 28 in Ouj-Bougoumou, connected with the outbreak.

Of those, 34 are now considered recovered, said Jason Coonishish, the coordinator of pre-hospital and emergency measures for the Cree Board of Health and Social Services of James Bay.

While there continue to be new cases in Mistissini 10 new cases were confirmed on Saturday and one on SundayCoonishish said they are allpeople who areclosely connected with known cases and were already self-isolating.

It is very clear to health officials where the most recent cases contracted the virus, he said.

Coonishish also said that as of Monday, there have been 7,950 vaccinations administered in all the Cree communities across Quebec.

New case inWhapmagoostui

Last week, a case was also confirmed in the most northern of the Cree communities,Whapmagoostui, which is side by side with the Inuit community of Kuujjuarapik. The two fly-in communities share a townsite, but are run as separate municipalities.

Cree public health has conducted 227 COVID-19 tests among contacts and contacts of contacts of the case in Whapmagoostui, in an effort to quickly contain the spread, according toCoonishish.

With a total population of more than 1,000 people, the number of tests done in Whapmagoostui is significant, he said.

"We went to another level [of contact tracing] so that we can make sure that we contain it," said Coonishish.

"We caught it in time."