PAGC Grand Chief Brian Hardlotte. (Submitted/ Tina Pelletier)

By Nigel Maxwell

Healthy communities

PAGC supports call to bring back restrictions to prevent further outbreaks

Jul 30, 2021 | 1:24 PM

The Grand Chief of Prince Albert Grand Council (PAGC) is showing his support for northern leaders, dealing with COVID outbreaks.

In recent weeks, cases have surged in a number of communities due to in part to social gatherings, and people not getting vaccinated. The respective leaders in those communities have been calling on the province for support, to bring back restrictions that were lifted on July 11, which would in turn allow police to break up gatherings and require those who test positive to self-isolate. Brian Hardlotte told paNOW the premier and the health minister need to listen to what the local leaders are saying.

“The province’s re-opening plans have been really counter productive in our efforts to slow down COVID in our communities,” he said.

Hardlotte added it’s the PAGC’s position that there needs to be special exemptions made in places of public health orders.

According to Thursday night’s update from the Athabasca Health Region, there’s 35 active cases in the five communities – 32 in Black Lake alone, which also has six variants of concern. The Northern Inter-Tribal Health Authority, which looks after 33 first nations communities, reported 147 active cases on Thursday, and 49 active cases of variants of concern.

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“This pandemic is not done, by no means,” Hardlotte said.

Earlier this week, in response to an outbreak at Buffalo River Dene Nation, the province’s health minister said vaccines are the best way to contain a COVID outbreak. Paul Merriman told reporters local health authorities can recommend public health measures and his ministry was waiting for them to speak up.

Speaking with the media on Thursday, Merriman, mentioned there are tens of thousands of vaccines available in northern Saskatchewan and he was continuing to encourage leaders to talk to their communities about the benefits of vaccination before an outbreak occurs. Hardlotte argued that work is already being done.

“The leadership continues to make those messages but the challenge is the misinformation on social media,” he explained.

According to the latest report from the Athabasca Health Authority, one in three people in Fond du Lac have been fully vaccinated, and for Black Lake, it’s one in seven.

In comparison, Stony Rapids, Camsell Portage and Uranium City have all met their vaccination targets with community members either being fully vaccinated or four-out-of-five.

Commending the work done to date by the front line workers in all the PAGC communities, as well as the respective leadership, Hardlotte said getting two shots is the only way people can protect themselves and their communities. Reflecting back on the Spanish Flu in 1918, Hardlotte said there was no vaccine available for the first nations communities.

“We have that opportunity and sadly our ancestors did not have that choice,” he said.

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nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell