Little Grand Rapids grapples with COVID-19 outbreak

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 05/10/2020 (2008 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

While one Manitoba First Nation may have avoided a coronavirus outbreak in its community, another is evacuating some residents and isolating others after a flurry of positive tests.

Nineteen people in Little Grand Rapids, located 268 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg, near the Ontario border, have tested positive for COVID-19 in the wake of events at the community’s recreation centre more than a week ago.

Meanwhile, at York Factory First Nation, which feared an outbreak after seven members of a family tested positive when one became infected while receiving medical treatment in Winnipeg, 66 tests of community members who came into contact with them have tested negative.

Another 30 tests, of people who came forward saying they, too, had been in contact, are being analyzed in Winnipeg.

Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak Grand Chief Garrison Settee said Monday he credits the York Factory chief and council for taking the bold action necessary to immediately lockdown the community, located some 700 km north of the city, when the positive cases became known in late September.

“They did a good job,” Settee said. “The lockdown did a lot when it comes to keeping people stationary.”

However, Settee said the federal government needs to do more to help First Nation communities with their chronic shortages of housing and inadequate medical care and facilities.

“Because of overcrowded housing, we are the most vulnerable and at risk,” he said. “Most houses only have one bathroom and that is a risk in itself — everyone has to use the same bathroom in a house… and we have to make concrete steps for health care. We can no longer be so far behind the rest of Canadian society.

“Our communities have pandemic plans, but we don’t have the resources or medical personnel… you can’t just talk about it, you have to have action.”

NDP MP Niki Ashton (Churchill—Keewatinook Aski) said the entire northern Manitoba region remains vulnerable to COVID-19 as long as the numbers go up in the capital city.

“People have no choice but to go to Winnipeg for essential medical services,” Ashton said. “And when you get home, how does someone self-isolate in a home that’s overcrowded because of the ongoing housing crisis on First Nations?

“The federal and provincial governments need to work with communities on prevention and mitigation now.”

As for the Little Grand Rapids situation, Grand Chief Arlen Dumas, of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, said Monday there could be others who will test positive elsewhere, because there were event attendees from other communities.

Dumas said several of the positive cases have been airlifted to Winnipeg, while others are isolating in the community. “We’ll just have to wait and see how things develop over the next few days.”

Little Grand Rapids leadership have told all community members to stay at home, except if they need medical care or need testing because of symptoms. One person from each household can go to the store for essential items.

Melanie MacKinnon, head of the Ongomiizwin-Indigenous Institute of Health and Healing at the University of Manitoba, and a partner of the Manitoba First Nations COVID-19 Pandemic Response Coordination Team, said contact investigations are still ongoing at Little Grand Rapids.

“We expect to find more contacts and probably find additional cases,” MacKinnon said. “It has only been 48 hours since the team was deployed.”

MacKinnon said she doesn’t know what the event was at the recreation centre, but it followed provincial guidelines.

“It was a gathering still within the provincial orders,” she said. “It was less than 50 people, but it was over a four-day period. It’s important to note the guidelines were followed, but a symptomatic case attended.”

Elsewhere, Nisichawayasihk and O-Pipon-Na-Piwin Cree Nations imposed partial lockdowns.

In statements, NCN, which said a positive case in Thompson may have been in contact with community members, urged its residents to stock up on essential supplies. OPCN, which said some community members had been in contact with the positive case, said “expect a full lockdown in the coming days.”

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca