Tsiigehtchic elders ask N.W.T. premier for a full-time nurse

As the Northwest Territories and the rest of Canada continue to practise social distancingto slowthe spread of the novel coronavirusor COVID-19, the community of Tsiigehtchic is asking the territorial government for a permanent nurse.

The Elders Committee in Tsiigehtchicheld an emergency meeting regarding thesituation on Wednesday.

"Now it's almost like an emergency situation where we need to have someone here," said James Andre, president of the committee.

Although the charter community has a permanent nurse during periods of river break-up andfreeze-upwhen no onecan drive to or from the communitya nursecomes to Tsiigehtchicfrom Inuvikjust once a week during the rest of the year.

Andre saidthe community has long wanted a permanent nurse, but that's increasedsince N.W.T. Health Minister Diane Thomdeclareda public health emergency in the territory on Wednesday.

At least 20 per centof our community members are at risk if [COVID-19] makes it into our town.- James Andre, president, Tsiigehtchic Elders Committee

As of Thursday at 1 p.m. there were no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the Northwest Territories, and 222 tests had come back negative.

Andre penned a formal letter to N.W.T. PremierCaroline Cochrane on behalf of elders in Tsiigehtchic.

"In the past, we have had serious medical situations arise and it's been up to the community members to stabilize the person before sending them out of the community," the letterreads in part.

"We only have a small population, but at least 20 per centof our community members are at risk if [COVID-19] makes it into our town," it adds. "How are we going to deal with it? We have no nurse."

Tsiigehtchic had a population of 198 in 2018, according to the NWTBureau of Statistics.

Frederick Blake, the MLA for the Mackenzie Deltaand Speaker of the House, also attended Wednesday's meeting. He said the lack of a permanent nurse in the community is somethinghe brought up right away to the territory's Department of Health and Social Services.

"I knew it was going to be a concern right away we are still working on getting a nurse in the community," he said.

"We have a number of elders here that are at risk, so that is why we were trying to get the nurse in right away with COVID-19 our biggest concerns are our elders."

The Department of Health did not respond to CBC's request for comment by the time of publication.