(Northern Saskatchewan Administration District/ Government of Saskatchewan)

By Nicole Reis

NORTHWEST CHECK POINTS

Indigenous leaders say opening province ‘too soon’, install regional perimeter check points in the North

Apr 24, 2020 | 4:32 PM

Northern municipal leaders are implementing a series of regional perimeter check points on the main arteries coming in and out of Saskatchewan’s Northwest region as well as reserve check points to help minimize the spread of COVID-19. Meanwhile, leaders have expressed concerns about the provincial government’s Re-Open plans announced Thursday.

The lockdown moves comes as another six cases of the coronavirus are reported in the Far North, and another two in the North.

A statement from the North West Communities Incident Command Centre said a perimeter initiative will see four check points established at the main transportation arteries in and from the North West. These will be on Highway 155 south of Beauval; 965 and 903 fork at Cole Bay; at the junction of Highway 165 and Highway 914; and at the Fort McMurray access road just south of La Loche.

Meadow Lake Tribal Council (MLTC) Chief Richard Ben told meadowlakeNOW some people in First Nations and Metis communities are not taking precautionary directives seriously.

“For myself and for my chiefs, we’ve talked about it and we feel opening the province is very premature,” Ben said. “We’re doing as much as we can to keep this pandemic in its place and safeguarding everyone in our communities so it just takes a new outbreak to make it worse. We think it’s too premature to be opening services right now.”

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Ben said First Nations are hiring security and implementing check-points, 24-hour watch questioning where travellers have been and where they’re going, which has proven to be costly. According to Ben, not enough rapid testing kits have been made available in the North.

“They’re not releasing the Spartan rapid testing kits right now that detect the COVID-19 virus within an hour and we’re asking for them,” he said. “MLTC has 15,000 members and at one point, we only had about 40 kits so it’s been hard to eliminate the fear in our communities.”

Ben said the real concern is with overcrowded homes where people who have been instructed to self-isolate at home are living with nearly 10 other people to one residence.

Premier speaks to medical response

Speaking at a media conference Friday afternoon Premier Scott Moe said a GenXpert testing machine similar to those in use in Prince Albert and Meadow Lake has been deployed to La Loche.

“This means that we will be able to significantly expand the testing, including the shortening the turn around time of tests in the community,” he said.

Moe added work was underway with the local leadership to make the school available.

“We have further had discussion with the mayor about opening up and providing some supplies into the school, cots, blankets and such.”

Meanwhile Chief Medical Health Officer Dr. Saqib said detailed contact tracing and mass-testing is occurring in the community.

“People who otherwise may not have thought of getting tested because their symptoms are so mild, in those situations do get tested, so it’s not really asymptomatic, but it’s people who are linked to that case contact investigation,” he explained.

Shahab added social housing units are being provided in La Loche for those who need to self-isolate.

“Where there are settings due to crowding it’s not possible to self-isolate either as a case or a contact, public health is working very closely with health and social services to provide alternate places for cases and contacts to stay.”.

Provincial order restricting travel

In a statement issued by the province earlier Friday, the mayor of La Loche and other northern leaders, Shahab signed a Public Health Order restricting all non-critical travel into northern Saskatchewan, specifically the Northern Saskatchewan Administration District.

Dr. Shahab is also issuing a strong recommendation against non-essential travel between communities within northern Saskatchewan.

Today’s order provides the full legal authority to enforce travel restrictions into the north. On April 18, regional medical health officers advised against all non-essential travel between northwest Saskatchewan and northern Alberta

Staffing of the checkpoints will continue to be directed by northern leadership. The provincial government has offered fire suppression staff to support the checkpoints and to provide any other support required.

First Nation and Metis leaders have agreed perimeter check points will help minimize the spread of the COVID-19 virus by educating and encouraging people to decrease unnecessary and non- essential travel into and out of the Northwest.

RCMP employee tests positive

Meanwhile, a civilian employee at the La Loche RCMP Detachment was tested for COVID-19 after displaying symptoms. The employee immediately self-isolated as per the direction of the Saskatchewan Health Authority. Yesterday, April 23, 2020, the employee advised the RCMP their test results were positive. The employee will continue to follow the direction of the Saskatchewan Health Authority and remain in self-isolation.

Six additional employees – two civilian employees and four police officers – at the La Loche RCMP Detachment have been ordered to self-isolate while waiting for testing.

Residents in the La Loche RCMP Detachment area will see some new faces in their communities over the next few weeks while our seven employees self-isolate. While the faces may be new, the service the communities receive will remain the same.

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nicole.reis@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @nicolereis7722