English River FN makes ‘urgent call for support’ from province to help control COVID-19 spread

As the COVID-19 outbreak continues to spread in the Far North region of Saskatchewan, the English River First Nation “is making an urgent call for support to help control and eradicate the current spread of the virus in their communities,” they said in a statement.

“As case numbers rapidly increase in the Far North, we hope the Saskatchewan Government is laser-focused on the need to help us stem the spread up here,” ERFN Councillor Katrina Maurice said in the statement.

First Nations communities are particularly vulnerable to the spread and impact of viruses because of systemic issues around overcrowding, food insecurity, and underfunded and inferior healthcare systems, the statement added.

The Far North region, where the English River First Nation is located, is being hit the hardest by COVID-19 in the province. Of the 57 active cases currently in Saskatchewan, 32 of those are in the Far North. All four of the COVID-19 cases in English River were confirmed this week.

“As Saskatchewan descends their curve, we are just starting our ascent,” ERFN Pandemic Planning Committee Emergency Coordinator Bernie Eaglechild said. “As we have witnessed around the world, the shape of each curve was determined by the population’s resources and how quickly they were executed, so we are welcoming any and all of the support we can get to determine the extent of the spread in our communities.”

Contact tracing from the positive cases has already been done, but officials said there could be more cases in the community.