COVID-19 in Indigenous communities: What you need to know

The number of active COVID-19 cases on First Nations in Canada has held steady in comparison to last week, according to the latest data from Indigenous Services Canada.

However, the number of reported cases connected with the Omicron variant have doubled since Dec. 16.

Indigenous Services Canada said as of Dec. 22, it was aware of 59 cases stemming from the Omicron variant of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.

There are 33 cases in Eastern Canada and 26 cases in Western Canada on-reserve, with a total of eight First Nations reporting the new strain.

There were 916 active cases of COVID-19 reported in First Nations as of Dec. 22, according to ISC. That's down slightly from the 939 active cases reported on Dec. 15.

In the week of Dec. 19-25, First Nations in Ontario recorded the highest number of active cases among the provinces with 55. British Columbia reported 45 cases and the Atlantic provinces reported 44.

The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs' First Nations Pandemic Response Team is urging First Nations people living in urban centres to reconsider travelling to their home communities over the holidays.

"It will be a quieter holiday season than we had planned, but that is our best chance of preventing outbreaks in our communities over the next couple of weeks," Dr. Marcia Anderson, the response team's public health lead, said at a Thursday news conference.

There is a major concern right now in Manitoba, where up to one-third of the current COVID-19 cases in the province may be related to the Omicron virus variant.

"Omicron is a completely new game. There's very little that we can actually do to … stop its spread because of how transmissible it actually is," said Anderson.

Melanie MacKinnon, who leads clinical operations for the Manitoba response team, spoke about pandemic fatigue during the press conference and said the team is anticipating the biggest wave of cases it has seen so far during the pandemic.

The team is still asking people to get their vaccines, whether first, second or third doses, in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19.

Anderson said people should consider taking care of their mental health over the holidays and encouraged people to practise their personal ceremonies at home. Going outside for walks or activities like ice fishing are still relatively safe during this ongoing wave, she said.

If you think you might have COVID-19, consult your local health department to book an appointment at a screening clinic.