Northern Manitoba passed 1,200 total cases of COVID-19 since the pandemic began in the spring with the announcement of more than 30 new cases Dec. 7.
The region also reached double digits for COVID-19 fatalities with the 10th and 11th deaths of Northern Regional Health Authority (NRHA) residents announced Monday. One of the people who died was a woman in her 80s associated with the acute care unit outbreak at St. Anthony鈥檚 General Hospital in The Pas while the other was a man in his 90s from the Flin Flon/Snow/Lake/Cranberry/Sherridon health district. Ten other deaths throughout the province were announced Dec. 7, bringing the total in Manitoba since the pandemic began to 407, at least 61 of which have occurred since the start of December.
Three dozen new cases of COVID-19 were announced in the NRHA Dec. 7, including 15 new cases in the Bunibonibee/Oxford House/Manto Sipi/God鈥檚 River/God鈥檚 Lake health district, nine in the Island Lake health district and seven in the Shamattawa/York Factory/Tataskweyak/Split Lake health district, though there were already 144 cases in the community of Shamattawa itself, which has about 1,300 residents, as of Dec. 4, according to Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak (MKO), some of which have yet to be confirmed by laboratory testing and added to provincial and regional totals.
MKO Grand Chief Garrison Settee said in a Dec. 4 press release that the Canadian military was deploying to Shamattawa First Nation to assist with the ongoing outbreak and set up a field hospital. The Canadian Press reported Dec. 5 that approximately six Canadian Rangers reservists would be sent to Shamattawa to provide humanitarian assistance such as distributing food, firewood and care packages as well as providing information and transportation. Members of the Bear Clan and Canadian Red Cross are also travelling to the community to provide support, MKO said.
鈥淚 want to commend Chief Eric Redhead for his diligent advocacy for the residents of Shamattawa,鈥� Settee said. 鈥淟ast week he asked for help from the Canadian military and he did not stop asking for this assistance.鈥�
Churchill-Kewewatinoook Aski NDP MP Niki Ashton made a statement in Parliament Dec. 4 regarding the situation in Shamattawa, which is within the riding she represents, and condemning statements made last week by Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister, who said that the federal government reserving some of the province鈥檚 COVID-19 vaccine allocation for First Nations would 鈥減ut Manitobans at the back of the line鈥� by providing the province with the fewest doses for non-Indigenous residents.
鈥淗e refuses to acknowledge that First Nations in Manitoba are Manitobans.鈥� said Ashton. 鈥淗e鈥檚 refused to commit to providing the vaccines they need and deserve.鈥�
Ashton also wrote to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to ask him to recognize First Nations citizens in Manitoba as a priority group for a COVID-19 vaccine when it becomes available.
Across the province, 325 new cases of COVID-19 were announced Monday, pushing the total since the pandemic began over 19,000. There wee 310 Manitobans in hospital due to the virus Dec. 7, including 21 from the north. There were also 39 people in intensive care due to COVID-19 on Monday, three of whom were from the north. More than a third of the 115 Manitobans currently receiving critical care are COVID-19-positive, Manitoba chief nursing officer Lanette Siragusa said, with 33 of the 80 Manitobans currently on ventilators being treated for COVID-19
鈥淥ur hospitalization and intensive care numbers are still far higher than we would like them to be,鈥� Siragusa said.
Over the past week, 73 health care workers tested positive for COVID-19, including six from the NRHA. Since the pandemic began, nearly 1,000 health care workers have tested positive for the virus.
Chief provincial public health officer Dr. Brent Roussin said Monday that he couldn鈥檛 say exactly when new public health orders to replace those set to expire Dec. 11 would be announced but that it would be soon.
鈥淚t鈥檒l be early this week,鈥� Roussin said.
