First Nation on edge as variant feared

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This article was published 16/02/2021 (1838 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

As Pauingassi First Nation awaits confirmation of seven positive cases of the British COVID-19 variant, the possibility of this new daunting challenge has dealt the community a blow.

“There is a little bit of hope, because the community itself has done a tremendous effort to stamp out the initial outbreak of COVID… however, I think the announcement of the potential of the variant has knocked the wind out of everybody’s sails,” Manitoba Grand Chief Arlen Dumas said Monday.

“It’s a new threat, a variation of a new threat, and I think that causes concern for everybody.”

Dumas said he hadn’t received any updates since the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs released a statement Saturday confirming seven probable cases of the B.1.1.7 coronavirus variant — first detected in the U.K. — had been detected in Pauingassi, a remote fly-in community 280 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg. Dumas said the First Nation plans to wait for the National Microbiology Lab’s review of the results before taking further steps.

“I think because of the additional screening and the additional oversight during that time will actually serve us well, and as soon as we actually find out if in fact we are dealing with the variant, we’ll be able to pinpoint how things have transpired fairly quickly,” Dumas said Monday.

The seven cases are likely connected to each other, Dumas said, but he was unable to offer specifics on how they are connected or how the variant is believed to have arrived in Pauingassi. All seven people are currently self-isolating.

Meanwhile, Cross Lake First Nation said in a statement Monday that one suspected case of the U.K. variant of the virus has been found there. The positive result is also pending conformation by the National Microbiology Lab.

One person in Winnipeg was diagnosed with the COVID-19 variant after being tested Jan. 21. All 10 provinces in Canada have now identified cases of the variant, which some experts say is as much as 70 per cent more deadly.

The Canadian Armed Forces touched down in the fly-in community Feb. 6 to help deal with a spike of COVID-19 cases in the area, and remained in Pauingassi as of Monday, Dumas said.

Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller said cases will be “treated as positive unless confirmed otherwise” in a tweet late Saturday and said the department will offer assistance however possible.

Dumas commended work done by the community and said he hopes that “status quo” continues. He called on the community to avoid COVID-19 information from unverified sources.

“We need to make sure that we’re all getting the best information possible when we’re sharing information, just so that we’re not fear-mongering or causing too much concern with people,” he said.

— with files from staff and The Canadian Press

malak.abas@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: malakabas_