Three First Nations in northwestern Ont. report new COVID-19 cases

As COVID-19 numbers rise throughout southern Ontario, new cases of the virus are starting to pop up in ruralFirst Nations throughout the northwestern region of the province.

Over the weekend, Pikangikum First Nation, Sandy Lake First Nationand Kasabonika Lake First Nation all reported new cases of COVID-19.

The Chief of Pikangikum First Nation, Dean Owen, confirmed onecase of the virus hasbeen reported within the community of over 3000 people. In a Facebook post, Owen said the individual is doing well while self-isolating, and will be closely monitored. He added contact tracingis currently being carried out.

"Thank you to everyone who has cooperated with the contact tracing teams. Your courage and patience as we do the necessary things to keep our community and its people safe is very much appreciated," said Owen.

The Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority (SLFNHA) confirmed on Saturday that the case involves a child within the community.

"We are not clear as to whether this is travel-related or whether it represents in community transmission. We will find this out, we hope, as we go forward with the investigation," said Dr. John Guilfoyle, public health physician with SLFNHA, about the case.

On Sunday, Owen provided an update tothe community's COVID-19 response Facebook pageindicating that the Pikangikum Pandemic Team has been meeting with multiple organizations for support.The list includes the Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority, the First Nation Inuit Health Branch, Ontario Provincial Police, and Independent First Nation Alliance.

"All of these organizations have extensive teams, resources and capabilities at the ready to assist Pikangikum with this effort," reads the statement from Owen. "Tests have been sent to Sioux Lookout via charter and we will update the community as soon as we receive the results."

Sandy Lake First Nation in lockdown

North of Pikangikum, in Sandy Lake First Nation, community officials are reporting one case of COVID-19, as of Saturday.

In a public notice, chief and council of the community said the positive case is a female who is asymptomatic, and has been retested as an added precaution.

"The individual arrived from Winnipeg [Man.] on September 15th. She was an escort for a medical patient. The individual has been isolating at our isolation site with her partner as part of our entry protocols. The patient she escorted has been in self-isolation at home," reads the public notice posted to the community's pandemic responseFacebookpage.

The Sandy Lake First Nation Health Authority and nursing station staff have begun contact tracing within the community of about 3000, but community officials are also asking individuals who believe they are a potential contact with the positive caseto call (807) 774-1476.

Officials said SLFNHA has made its public health team available to the community for support.

The positive case has led to the implementation of an internal community lockdown. All community members are being asked to stay home, except for essential service providers.

Schools in the community will remain closed. Officials said the decision to reopen schools may be considered "14 to 21 days after the last case is diagnosed."

Six cases now confirmed in Kasabonika Lake First Nation

North of Sioux Lookout, in the community of Kasabonika Lake First Nation, oneindividualtested positive for COVID-19 over the weekend. According to SLFNHA, this case wasdetected by way of contact tracing.

To date, there are sixcases in the community, which is home to about 800 people.

On September 15, SLFNHA confirmed that an individual had tested positive for COVID-19 within the community. Then four additional cases were confirmed, all within the same "social bubble" of the original individual.

As of Sunday, the health authority said all individuals are doing well and are being closely monitored. Contact tracing will be done to detect any potential spread related to this new case.

The Grand Chief of Nishnawbe Aski Nation(NAN) said thecases in Kasabonika relate to a teacher and his family, who were flown out of the First Nation over the weekend after a lot of discussion with the community, the family and health officials.

"If things got worse for them, there has to be adequate medical support for them and the community felt the best place for that would be, say, in Sioux Lookout, for example, closer to a hospital setting. But also it's trying to free up the limited resources available in our communities," said Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler at a press conference on Monday.

Community leaders, health officials stress importance of COVID-19 precautions

Fiddler said it is up to each First Nation's chief and council to establish the protocols they feel are needed to keep their community safe, including curfews, tighter restrictions on visitors and travel, and NAN will support them in those decisions.

Fiddler addedprior to the pandemic there was no public health infrastructure in NAN, and chiefs have been telling the federal government that it's urgently needed, now more than ever.

"Right now in Kasabonika, for example we have nurses that are overwhelmed and overworked, we have limited doctor visits to our communities and there's just an absence of a public health system and that's something we have to make sure is built in very quickly," he said.

Patty Hajdu, federalminister of health and MP for Thunder Bay-Superior North, calls the rising case count in communities"very concerning."

"We know and we said all along that First Nations communities are especially vulnerable due to all kinds of social determinants of health that include underlying health conditions, that include insufficient housing and not the ability to self-isolate if someone has become ill.So we're workingwith affected communities right now," she said.

Guilfoyle saidthe recent cases are proof of viral activity in the impacted communities, but saidthe recent uptick in cases is not a surprise.

"It's important that as this happens, we continue with the public health measures,keeping to your social bubble, using masking where you can't keep the six feet, protecting others when you cough and sneeze. And most important, if you have symptomscall the nursing station...get assessed and get tested," he said.

Overlap in regional COVID-19 case reporting

As of Monday, 10 cases of COVID-19 have been reported throughout northwestern Ontario.

In addition to the cases reported by SLFNHA and Sandy Lake First Nation, The Thunder Bay District Health Unit (TBDHU) has reported one active case in the Thunder Bay area.

The Northwestern Health Unit has reported one active case in the Dryden-Red Lake area, in addition to the Pikangikum First Nation and Sandy Lake First Nation cases.

In a Facebook post on September 18, the Thunder Bay District Health Unit said it was aware of the COVID-19 cases reported by the SLFNHA that fall within its geographical boundaries. The health unit said it has been advised "provincially" that these cases are not considered TBDHU cases.

"We have been advised provincially that these cases are not considered TBDHU cases for reporting purposes and will not be included in TBDHU case numbers provincially or on our website," reads a statement from the health unit.

On Monday, however, the TBDHU confirmed one COVID-19 case in a resident in its region related to a cased confirmed by the SLFNHA.

"The Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority leads the case and contact management for COVID-19 cases in the communities that it serves. Under the provincial reporting system, cases in communities that are in the TBDHU area will be included in the TBDHUcase count where applicable," reads a release from the health unit on Monday.