As Ontario lifts COVID-19 restrictions, northern First Nations are still grappling with Omicron surge
CBC
As Ontario lifts more COVID-19 restrictions, First Nations in the province's north are still grappling with the Omicron surge.
Chiefs from several northern communities were briefed Wednesday about the COVID-19 situation, and the Sioux Lookout First Nation Health Authority outlined the difference in northern data about the virus compared to the south.
"While things elsewhere in the province are maybe moving ahead and have all the resources at their disposal. First Nations in this region again do not have access to all the infrastructure that someone else down south might have access to," said Dr. Lloyd Douglas, the top public health physician for the Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority (SLFNHA).
Douglas told CBC News the provincewide easing of many restrictions is missing the context of what's happening in northern areas.
He said not only are a historic lack of resources a concern at this stage in the pandemic, but the north is weeks behind the rest of the province in test positivity rates and hospitalization.
The health authority is seeing a spike in COVID-19 cases in the region Eabametoong and Mishkeegogamang First Nations in outbreak, while Pikangikum is just starting to see a decline in spread of the virus.
This comes on the heels of another large-scale outbreak that crippled Bearskin Lake First Nation through parts of December and January, outlining a need for faster government response in these situations.
Across the province, effective today (Thursday), all capacity limits are lifted for restaurants, bars, cinemas and gyms — a move that was initially set to take effect Feb 21.
The government also intends to fully lift capacity limits on businesses and social gatherings on March 1. Its vaccine certificate policy — which requires that certain businesses only admit vaccinated patrons — is set to end the same day.
Leading up to easing of restrictions, Ontario's chief medical officer of health, Dr. Kieran Moore, and Premier Doug Ford have pointed to improving virus indicators such as dropping hospitalizations and intensive-care admissions as the rationale behind lifting more public health rules.
Ford said Tuesday It's time to move on from public health restrictions aimed at reducing the spread of COVID-19 because people are "done" with rules like vaccine certificates and masks.
Earlier in the week, Moore said "we have the level of protection we need to remove public health restrictions," but that might not be the case for the entire province.
Dr. Anna Banerji, an infectious disease specialist and founder of the Indigenous Health Conference, said the province has not fully consulted with people on the ground in remote First Nations.
"That's a better way to go then just letting it go and and letting whatever happens in the north happen without measures to mitigate that," Banerji said.
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