Through regular social media posts and band council correspondence, officials at Beaver Lake Cree Nation have been keeping their residents and the surrounding community updated on the COVID situation in their nation.
Last week Beaver Lake's Health Services department and their specially created Pandemic Committee reported there were two active cases of the coronavirus in their community. Social isolating measures and suggestions of travel restrictions were put into place. Band officials also set up security stations at the entrance to the First Nation community, asking any visitors with business in the community to register and to follow strict COVID 19 protocols in place.
A week later, in a Thursday report to members, Beaver Lake officials were reporting there while there were some people still isolating as a precaution, there were now no active cases in their community.
Additionally, Health Services officials explain that the two confirmed cases at Beaver Lake presented only mild symptoms, and the individuals recovered at home with no need for additional medical care. To date, 247 Beaver Lake Cree Nation members have been tested for the COVID-19 virus. Beaver Lake Cree Nation has about 450 residents.
Overall numbers
While Beaver Lake has reduced its first cases over the last week, it's a different story at the Saddle Lake and Whitefish Cree Nations near St. Paul, where there were 84 active cases reported as of Friday morning. Saddle Lake and Whitefish have a combined community population of about 6,000 people, according to recent census results. Saddle Lake officials have administered more than 2,800 coronavirus tests to their members. At the Kikino Metis Settlement, a notice was sent to residents on October 31 confirming one active case. Further updates have not been received.
LacAlta locks doors
The Kikino and Beaver Lake numbers are included by Alberta Health Services in the total active cases of Lac La Biche County. As of Friday morning, there were nine confirmed COVID-19 cases across the community, including one associated to a visiting worker at the LacAlta Lodge seniors' home. While the lodge has been locked-down, Lac La Biche Mayor Omer Moghrabi says no residents of the facility have so far been infected by the respiratory virus.
The advice to residents from officials with Beaver Lake Health Services holds true for all area residents.
"Please try to minimize your outings and visits to areas with high numbers of COVID-19. If you must go out, keep your distance from others, wear your masks, wash your hands often, and disinfect high touch items/areas. Most importantly, if you are sick or believe you have been in contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19, stay home and ask about getting tested," says the most recent update from Beaver Lake
