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COVID-19 cases in Indigenous communities hit lowest point since December: minister

Feb 4, 2021 | 11:11 AM

Indigenous Services Canada says the number of people with COVID-19 in First Nations communities has declined to the lowest point since Dec. 6 with 1,869 active cases reported as of yesterday.

The department says this is the second week that the number of reported recoveries have outpaced new COVID-19 cases.

Minister Marc Miller says the strict public health measures that were implemented across the country last December have helped slow the spread of the virus in Indigenous communities.

But Miller says individuals must remain vigilant as authorities wait to see how Canada-wide delays in vaccine shipments will impact the rollout in Indigenous communities in coming weeks.

Miller says more than 64,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered to First Nations on reserve, Inuit and in the territories as of Feb. 3.

He says the campaign is set to expand to more communities in the coming weeks, and delivering vaccines to Indigenous people in urban settings remains a priority.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 4, 2021.

The Canadian Press

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