Southend, PBCN. (Cameconorth.com)

By Glenn Hicks

COVID-19

PBCN dealing with COVID-19 case at Southend

Mar 15, 2020 | 6:11 PM

The Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation (PBCN) has taken several measures since a presumptive case of COVID-19 was confirmed in the northern community of Southend, including the closure of schools effective Monday.

Steps include delivering information packages to residents door-to-door, the disinfection of public buildings, and a call-in information program on the local radio station late Saturday afternoon.

The community was notified of the case – a health care worker in their 30s who had returned from recent trips abroad and out of province – via a notice Saturday morning from the Northern Inter Tribal Health Authority (NITHA). NITHA said the community remained at low risk of transmission of the virus.

In a media release Sunday afternoon the PBCN said further radio communications were planned in the coming days.

Among the measures being taken to help stop the spread of the novel coronavirus, the school, health centres, and band offices have been (or are in the process) of being disinfected.

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The PBCN Chief and Council have also put in place several precautionary measures including the closure of schools from March 16 – April 3, 2020.

“These are smaller communities; people are in closer quarters as well, so we’re closing schools as a precautionary and preventative measure, ” Chief Peter Beatty told paNOW. ” We’ll reassess the situation in three weeks.”

There has been a knock-on effect to health care staffing in Southend because colleagues of the nurse who had tested positive were exposed and are themselves now in self-isolation.

” We’re working with Health Canada who are providing support services …and we’re sending in more staff [to Southend] to take care of any emergencies we need to deal with.”

All PBCN essential services will continue to be provided, but other than these, employees will be working from home when possible.

Also, all community events are to be postponed and/or cancelled until further notice, only essential travel is recommended, and social distancing is in effect – where individuals keep two metres away from one another in public spaces.

Chief Beatty said the local politicians would also be practising social distancing.

” We’re going to be operating over the phone, email, text messaging …whatever we need to do, but no meetings as such,” he explained.

PBCN consists of eight communities: Amisk Lake, Deschaumbault Lake, Kinoosao, Pelican Narrows, Prince Albert, Sandy Bay, Southend, and Sturgeon Landing.

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With files from Teena Monteleone

glenn.hicks@jpbg.ca

On Twitter:@princealbertnow