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Vaccine rollout picks up speed in First Nations across Canada
January 2, 2021
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The Moderna COVID-19 vaccine has begun to arrive in First Nations across the country as the pandemic’s second wave continues to batter many remote Indigenous communities.
In British Columbia, the Moderna vaccine arrived in 10 First Nations on Tuesday, communities that were chosen based on remoteness, need and the availability of health care staff, said Shannon McDonald, the deputy chief medical officer for the province’s First Nations Health Authority (FNHA).
Dr. McDonald declined to say which communities are getting the vaccine and how many doses are being offered.
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The Porcupine Health Unit (PHU) is reporting four new COVID-19 cases among residents in the health unit area.
The Weeneebayko Area Health Authority is confirming three of those new cases are in Moose Factory.
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The fourth case involves a resident somewhere in the Cochrane-Matheson-Iroquois Fall-Smooth Rock Falls area, according to the PHU.
All four individuals contracted the virus from other known cases and are currently in self-isolation.
There are have been 125 cases of COVID-19 reported in the PHU area since March.
Both of the infected individuals are residents of Moose Factory.
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Porcupine Health Unit says the individuals contracted the virus from another known case.
This brings the running total of COVID-19 cases reported within the PHU area up to 121.
Both individuals involved in this case are self-isolating, according to the PHU.
In a statement issued by Weeneebayko Area Health Authority on Sunday, the authority said, “WAHA is working with Porcupine Health Unit and the community public health department to ensure that the individuals are isolated, and that the contact tracing investigation is ongoing.