OTTAWA – COVID-19 Update – COVID-19 continues to impact Indigenous communities. The scope of the virus in Northern Ontario has some communities with active cases numbers are alarming levels.
Latest updates from ISC for the week of February 24, 2022
Vaccinations
As of February 22, 2022, over 87% of individuals aged 12 and older in First Nations, Inuit and territorial communities have received a second dose of an approved COVID-19 vaccine, and over 25% have received a third/booster dose. Over 49% of individuals aged 5 to 11 have received at least one dose.
Vaccine information is updated and published on Thursdays and can be found at canada.ca/covid-vaccines-indigenous.
COVID-19 cases
As of February 23, 2022, the following case counts have been reported from First Nations communities:
- 84,386 confirmed positive COVID-19 cases, of which 11,212 are the Omicron variant
- 3,402 active cases
- 2,961 hospitalizations
- 80,332 recovered cases
- 652 deaths.
For the week of February 17 to 23, 2022, the average daily reported active case counts dropped by 13.6% compared with the daily average the week before.
This is compared with a
- 9.5% decrease in average daily cases reported the week of February 10 to 16, 2022, from the week prior
- 13.2% decrease in average daily cases reported the week of February 3 to 9, 2022, from the week prior.
Case count information is updated and published daily, Monday through Friday, and can be found at Canada.ca/indigenous-covid-cases.
Request for Federal Assistance (RFA) approvals and extensions
- Attawapiskat First Nation’s (ON) RFA was approved on February 16, 2022. Canadian Rangers are providing COVID-19 mitigation support in the community until at least March 2, 2022.
- Kashechewan First Nation’s (ON) RFA was approved on February 1, 2022. Canadian Rangers are providing COVID-19 mitigation support in the community. A two-week extension was approved for continued support until March 2, 2022.
- Weenusk (Peawanuck) First Nation’s (ON) RFA was approved on January 30, 2022. Canadian Rangers are providing COVID-19 mitigation support in the community. A two-week extension was approved for continued support until February 27, 2022.
- Mishkeegogamang First Nation’s (ON) RFA was approved on February 9, 2022. Canadian Rangers are providing COVID-19 mitigation support in the community. A two-week extension was approved for continued support until March 11, 2022.
- Eabametoong First Nation’s (ON) RFA was approved on February 10, 2022. Canadian Rangers are providing COVID-19 mitigation support in the community. A two-week extension was approved for continued support until March 10, 2022.
RFA recent conclusions
- The Operation REMOTE IMMUNITY 3.0 RFA was approved on November 10, 2021. Canadian Rangers recently concluded its supports to provincial vaccination programs in remote Indigenous communities in Ontario. Operation Remote Immunity 3.0 has ended after coordinating nearly 200 vaccine clinics in 29 remote and isolated Indigenous communities served by the Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority and the Weeneebayko Area Health Authority. Since November 2021, approximately 9,700 doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in remote communities under Operation Remote Immunity. The RFA will remain active until March 31, 2022, to address any unforeseen support requirements.
