Patty Hajdu says the number of COVID-19 infections in First Nations communities has begun to decline, bringing hope that the worst of the Omicron wave has passed.Hajdu says she understands why Indigenous leaders are sounding an alarm that progress could be lost in regions where provincial governments are rapidly moving to lift public health orders.“Indigenous leaders obviously are concerned,” Hajdu said during a news conference Thursday.
High anxiety levels expected in Canadians wary of COVID restrictions lifting - experts Daily active case counts in Indigenous communities have declined 13.2 per cent from last week.
Hajdu cautioned there is still a need for vigilance as some communities deal with significant outbreaks.“There are still areas of the country where cases are rising and in communities where the community spread risk remains a challenge,” she said.In Saskatchewan, the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations and other tribal councils have called on the provincial government to reverse its plan to ease public health orders.
They say the plan puts First Nations at a greater risk.“Our northern communities have been some of the hardest hit in the province since the beginning of this pandemic,” Meadow Lake Tribal Council Chief Richard Ben said in a news release.“Ending or changing the public health measures without proper consultation from First Nations and their leadership is only going to create more outbreaks.”Saskatchewan announced earlier this week that it will scrap its COVID-19 vaccine passport policy on Monday and end nearly all orders, including indoor mask mandates, by the end of the month.