Chief Tammy Cook-Searson said there are 12 cases of coronavirus in Lac La Ronge Indian Band communities. (Derek Cornet/larongeNOW Staff)

By Derek Cornet

Public Health

Contact tracing underway in tri-communities after first case of coronavirus

Oct 13, 2020 | 12:25 PM

Contacting tracing is underway after the first case of coronavirus was confirmed Oct. 10 in the tri-communities.

“The nurses immediately did contact tracing with the positive case and they are working with the ones who have been named as direct contacts from the first confirmed case in La Ronge,” said Lac La Ronge Indian Band Chief Tammy Cook-Searson. “Our goal remains the safety and wellbeing of our community members.”

The individual was tested Oct. 9 after developing symptoms and it came after Stanley Mission was placed on lockdown after six other cases were confirmed. Currently, residents can only leave the community if they can prove they have a medical appointment or for employment reasons, but that can change to a total lockdown meaning no coming or going for any reason whatsoever if the situation doesn’t improve. There’s also a 10 p.m. curfew in place.

It’s unknown if such a lockdown could be implemented in the tri-communities if the number of cases rise. Cook-Searson explained it’s challenging because people from other communities come to La Ronge for shopping and to access the hospital.

“We definitely would have to sit down with the Town of La Ronge and the Village of Air Ronge and come up with a plan together,” she said. “Even though we are separate communities, we are still a tri-community.”

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Efforts continue in Stanley Mission to halt the spread of coronavirus. After an outbreak was declared Oct. 11 at the local health centre, Cook-Searson noted some employees were required to self-isolate and other nurses arrived from Health Canada. Of the six confirmed cases, there were 92 close contacts and 80 have so far tested negative.

An additional 196 tests were done in Stanley Mission on those who are considered not close contacts. Of those swabs, 54 are negative and 142 are pending.

“Everybody worked together, so right from when we received word we had a positive, confirmed case in Stanley Mission … the community took action,” she said.

Cook-Searson noted there’s an additional five cases in the community of Little Red, adding the first two residents identified with cases there about two weeks ago are recovering. She said the new three cases are not connected to the initial two.

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derek.cornet@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @saskjourno