Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation Newsletter

COVID-19 UPDATES FOR NEYAASHIINIGMIING

Community Updates  | January 2, 2022

We are starting the New Year with an urgent message. As we remain in a Community State of Emergency, we are heightening our safety protocols as the highly transmissible Omicron variant is present in Grey-Bruce county.

URGENT UPDATES FOR OUR COMMUNITY:

• As of January 2^nd, 2022, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Neyaashiinigmiing has now risen to 6 and more are anticipated.
• The Reserve is open to Community Members only. Please stay home. Do not visit the reserve unless you absolutely have to come for business.
• Limit shopping trips to a single member of a household, many carriers are asymptomatic and the Omicron variant is highly transmissible.
• Neyaashiinigmiing is considered a vulnerable population. Our current stance based on public health guidelines is, if you feel sick, assume you have COVID-19 and isolate for 10 days.
• When COVID-19 first began, a Home Sign System was introduced to the Neyaashiinigmiing community where a green sign was placed in your home window or on your door indicating people were well. A red sign indicated people were sick.  We would like to implement this system again, and ask for your participation.
• Please check our Nawash website (nawash.ca) and Facebook page (www.facebook.com/CONUFN) for any updates pertaining to COVID-19 and our community.
• Please relay this information in a safe manner to any family, friends or members that may not have access to the internet.

THE MOST COMMON SYMPTOMS OF COVID-19 INCLUDE:

• fever (a temperature of 37.8 degrees Celsius or higher) and/or chills
• cough, including a barking cough or croup (continuous, more than usual, making a whistling noise when breathing)
• shortness of breath (out of breath, unable to breathe deeply)
• decrease or loss of taste or smell
• for children under 18 years of age: nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhea
• for adults over 18 years of age: muscle aches, joint pain and/or extreme tiredness

A full listing of symptoms can be found here:

https://www.ontario.ca/page/covid-19-stop-spread#section-0

COVID PRECAUTIONARY MEASURE:

• Get your full series of the COVID-19 vaccine. COVID-19 vaccines are safe, effective and the best way to help protect yourself, your loved ones and your community from the spread of COVID-19.
• Stay two metres apart.
• Wear a mask or face covering properly in indoor public spaces and outside any time physical distancing is not possible — you may be fined if you don’t.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Cover your cough and sneeze and cough into your sleeve.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
• Download the COVID Alert app.
• Follow international travel guidelines.

UPDATES: ELIGIBLE GROUPS FOR PCR TESTING (PCR Testing is a test for COVID-19)

Effective December 31, 2021, PCR testing will only be recommended for individuals if they belong to the following groups:

• Symptomatic people who fall into one of the following groups:
  • Hospitalized patients
  • Patients in Emergency Departments, at the discretion of the treating clinician
  • Patient-facing health care workers
  • Staff, residents, essential care providers, and visitors in hospitals and congregate living settings, including long-term care, retirement homes, First Nation elder care lodges, group homes, shelters, hospices, temporary foreign worker settings, and correctional institutions
  • Outpatients for whom COVID-19 treatment is being considered
  • Underhoused or homeless
• People who are from First Nation, Inuit, and Métis communities and individuals travelling into these communities for work
• Symptomatic elementary and secondary students and education staff who have received a PCR self-collection kit through their school
• People on admission/transfer to or from hospital or congregate living setting
• High-risk contacts and asymptomatic/symptomatic people in the context of confirmed or suspected outbreaks in high-risk settings, including hospitals, long-term care, retirement homes, other congregate living settings and institutions, and other settings as directed by the local public health unit
• Individuals, and one accompanying caregiver, with written prior approval for out-of-country medical services from the General Manager, OHIP
• Asymptomatic testing in hospital, long-term care, retirement homes and other congregate living settings and Institutions as per provincial guidance and/or Directives
• Read more here: https://news.ontario.ca/en/backgrounder/1001387/updated-eligibility-for-pcr-testing-and-case-and-contact-management-guidance-in-ontario