FNHMA Health Bulletin: Coronavirus (COVID-19) |
Happy New Year!
We're back to provide you with helpful resources and information.
As you know, each issue, we do our best to provide relevant information, resources and supports to help you and your team navigate through COVID-19.
In this week's edition, we are sharing:
- Happy New Year!
- Weekly Virtual Town Hall Update
- Total Number of Confirmed Cases of COVID-19 ISC is aware of as of January 7, 2021
- Epidemiological Summary Of COVID-19 Cases In First Nations Communities (Data Current As Of January 2, 2021)
- "Vaccine Rollout Picks Up Speed In First Nations Across Canada"
- "Priority Populations In Northern Sask. To Begin Receiving COVID-19 Vaccine Monday"
- "Cree Nation In Quebec Vaccinates First Elders And Is Ready to Rollout More"
- "Akwesasne Long-Term Care Home Grappling With COVID-19 Outbreak"
- "First Doses Of Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine Head To Manitoba First Nations"
- "Canadian Military Leaves Shamattawa First Nation After Providing COVID-19 Support"
- "Organizations Mobilizing To Counter COVID-19 Outbreak Among Montreal's Indigenous Population"
- "Remote First Nations Communities Among First In B.C. To Get Moderna Vaccine"
Scroll down for these stories and more.
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Happy New Year!
From all of us at the FNHMA, we want to wish you and yours a happy new year filled with success, health and prosperity.
Keep safe.
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Weekly Virtual Town Hall Update |
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FNHMA Virtual Town Halls Return Next Week! January 14, 2021
Mark your calendars. After taking a break for the holidays, we are back to work on January 14, 2021 @ 1pm EST with an amazing group of speakers. We hope you'll continue to join us as we discuss and share important information on the pandemic, the vaccine and the issues and opportunities for front line health care workers.
If you missed a Town Hall, you can watch them all. Simply click the button below to view our archived list.
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National and First Nation COVID-19 News |
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Total Number Of Confirmed Cases Of COVID-19 ISC Is Aware Of As Of January 7, 2021 |
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As of January 7, 202, Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) records indicate that there are 9968 confirmed cases of COVID-19 on First Nations reserves, in six provinces. There are 425 hospitalizations, 6585 recovered cases, and 95 deaths.
For more information on these numbers and for more information on how to keep your family safe, please click here.
Click Here to see the full ISC Coronavirus (COVID-19) an Indigenous communities page.
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Epidemiological Summary Of COVID-19 Cases In First Nations Communities (Data Current As Of January 2, 2021) |
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Cumulative reported, recovered, active and newly reported cases in First Nations communities (Data is current as of January 2, 2021)
The charts with epidemic curves over time (epi curves) below show:
- the cumulative totals of reported and recovered COVID-19 cases
- active cases
- Reported cases by First Nations communities by age group and sex
Epidemic curves of COVID-19 cases in First Nations communities on-reserve are available online, and updated weekly. While a recent rise in the number of cumulative, new and active COVID-19 cases suggests an increased transmission, the flattened epi curves observed over the summer months indicates many First Nations communities had been successful in their efforts to stop the spread of infections.
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"Vaccine Rollout Picks Up Speed In First Nations Across Canada"
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"The Moderna COVID-19 vaccine has begun to arrive in First Nations across the country as the pandemic’s second wave continues to batter many remote Indigenous communities.
In British Columbia, the Moderna vaccine arrived in 10 First Nations on Tuesday, communities that were chosen based on remoteness, need, and the availability of health care staff, said Shannon McDonald, the deputy chief medical officer for the province’s First Nations Health Authority (FNHA).
Dr. McDonald declined to say which communities are getting the vaccine and how many doses are being offered."
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"Priority Populations In Northern Sask. To Begin Receiving COVID-19 Vaccine Monday"
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"Priority populations in Northern Saskatchewan will begin receiving the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine on Monday.
The province said Sunday that priority populations in the Far North Central and Far Northwest zones will receive a quantity of the immunizations from Moderna received by the province last week."
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"Cree Nation In Quebec Vaccinates First Elders And Is Ready to Rollout More" |
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“The Cree Nation of Eeyou Istchee in northern Quebec has started vaccinating their population, beginning with 1,200 doses, and plans to start vaccinating the entire population of over 20,000 next week.
People in Mistissini, which is about 780 km north of Montreal and has roughly 3,500 residents, were among the first to receive the Moderna vaccine, which was approved in late December.
“Our target for the arrival for the bulk for the entire nation was on the 11th of January, but we received the first ones on Jan. 5, so we had to move pretty fast and priority of course for those ones were 45 and up,” explains Bertie Wapachee, chairperson of the Cree Board of Health and Social Services of James Bay."
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"Akwesasne Long-Term Care Home Grappling With COVID-19 Outbreak"
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"Akwesasne's Tsiionkwanonhso:te long-term care facility is among a growing number of care homes coping with a COVID-19 outbreak during the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic.
Ten residents and 10 staff members tested positive for the virus at the facility in recent weeks. While seven of the cases have since resolved in the last few days, the outbreak still makes up nearly half of active cases in the northern portion of Akwesasne. One resident has died."
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"First Doses Of Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine Head To Manitoba First Nations"
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"The first shipments of the Moderna vaccine for COVID-19 are being deployed to First Nations in Manitoba.
Beginning Thursday, the province will ship 5,300 doses of the vaccine to various communities to launch an immunization campaign for Manitoba's 63 First Nations, says a statement from Premier Brian Pallister.
The first doses will be given to those in priority groups, determined by the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs and the province, in collaboration with Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak (MKO), which represents northern Manitoba First Nations, Keewatinohk Inniniw Minoayawin, a health organization formed by MKO, and the Southern Chiefs' Organization, which represents First Nations in southern Manitoba.”
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"Canadian Military Leaves Shamattawa First Nation After Providing COVID-19 Support" |
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"The military has left Shamattawa First Nation nearly three weeks after they were called in to help the northern Manitoba community get control of its COVID-19 cases.
All of the approximately 55 Canadian Forces members left Shamattawa Dec. 31, and are now in isolation, military spokesperson Daniel Le Bouthillier wrote in an email to CBC News on Saturday."
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"Organizations Mobilizing To Counter COVID-19 Outbreak Among Montreal's Indigenous Population"
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"A Support organizations in Montreal are mobilizing to respond to a major outbreak of COVID-19 that they have seen among Indigenous people experiencing homelessness.
About 80 per cent of the people who have been screened have witnessed a positive novel coronavirus diagnosis, according to a joint statement released Thursday by organizations working with homeless populations.
Among the solutions put in place, the former Royal Victoria Hospital has been transformed into a red zone centre that can accommodate 61 people and offer alcohol consumption management."
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"Remote First Nations Communities Among First In B.C. To Get Moderna Vaccine" |
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"Relief for residents of isolated communities, where 10,700 doses are being made available.
Residents of 18 remote First Nations communities in B.C. are among the first people in the province to get the Moderna vaccine this week.
While some are feeling nervous, many are thrilled to have first access to the defence against COVID-19.
"It is a little bit surreal," said Don Speck, a member of the Namgis First Nation in Alert Bay who is getting his vaccine this week."
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COVID-19 Communications Toolkit - Free Download
The pandemic has touched many Indigenous communities across the country and people need information to help them manage in this ever-changing environment. With the arrival of COVID-19 vaccines, people have renewed hope but understandably also have questions on how a vaccine will impact them and their families.
To help you answer some of these questions, Indigenous Services Canada has prepared a toolkit that contains a variety of communication resources and information for you to share with your community. Each community is unique in the way it shares information with its members. This toolkit can serve as a guide to create messages tailored to your community.
This is the first version of the communications toolkit, please look for updated versions in the coming weeks as the situation continues to evolve.
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What you need to know about the COVID-19 vaccine for Canada
Working to bring Canadians a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine
Vaccination is one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread and reduce the impact of infectious diseases, whether it's seasonal flu or childhood infections. A safe and effective vaccine(s) for COVID-19 will protect us against the novel coronavirus and will be an important step to safely resume normal life in Canada and around the world. The Government of Canada is working on all possible fronts to secure access to safe and effective vaccines and related supplies for Canadians. Here is what Canadians need to know about a future COVID-19 vaccine.
Download the full PDF about what you need to know about the vaccine here.
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FNHMA Pandemic Planning Tool Free Download |
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Did you know that the FNHMA has developed a Pandemic Planning Tool for First Nations Communities?
What can I expect with the FNHMA Pandemic Planning Tool?
- This tool is available to all First Nations communities, free of charge.
- FNHMA hopes that this new tool will help First Nations communities plan their pandemic responses.
- Includes the basics of developing a Community Pandemic Plan and can complement what you already have in place.
- A Community Pandemic Plan is usually part of an overall Community Emergency Plan, and as such, supports a more coordinated approach.
- This tool will serve health directors, program managers and community health representatives alike; not only to enhance their knowledge, but to hone their skills and abilities, as well as to help them continue to drive change and build healthier communities.
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COVID-19 App Update Available!
The Canada COVID-19 app has an update available. If you don’t have auto-updates enabled on your device, remember to update your app manually!
Get the app today.
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Accessing Additional Funding |
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Indigenous Support For Student Learning Program - Funding Opportunity |
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The "Indigenous Support for Student Learning Program (SSLP)"
This program is a time-limited project for Indigenous students who have limited financial resources, including those students living with disabilities.
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Indigenous Services Canada - New Financial Support |
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Indigenous Services Canada has a list of financial supports for:
- Indigenous individuals
- Indigenous students
- Indigenous organizations and communities
- Indigenous businesses
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A number of Partner and National Indigenous Organizations are and have been producing webinars in order to continue supporting First Nations in a changing landscape.
To view more please follow the links below and be directed to that organization's webinar page.
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Supports & Regularly Updated Resources |
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The following organizations have resources to combat COVID-19. These resources are regularly updated and are available to view at any time.
Please click below to be directed to more information.
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Indigenous Health Today houses many different resources and provides recent news updates via email.
Please subscribe to their health brief as a valued FNHMA Partner.
Click the link to subscribe today!
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Please note that service hours for InfoPoint have been updated.
InfoPoint will now be available from 9am until 5pm EDT, Monday to Friday.
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Previous Health Bulletins |
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If you missed or would like to see any of our weekly health bulletins, we have included a link to all of our previous volumes.
Click Here to see all previous Health and Wellness Bulletins.
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