Vaccination rates have also up compared to one month ago. (Derek Cornet/larongeNOW Staff)

By Derek Cornet

fourth wave

Active COVID cases fall sharply in Air Ronge, La Ronge, LLRIB communities

Nov 12, 2021 | 5:06 PM

The number of active COVID-19 cases in Air Ronge, La Ronge and Lac La Ronge Indian Band communities has fallen sharply from one month ago.

As of Nov. 10, there was only one active case on-reserve and five or less in Air Ronge and La Ronge combined. On Oct. 14, there were 67 active cases with 40 being on-reserve, and 27 in Air Ronge and La Ronge.

A month ago, there was a total of 112 active cases in all LLRIB communities with another 49 cases in Stanley Mission and 26 in Hall Lake. Data released Wednesday shows there are now eight active cases with three in Stanley Mission and four in Hall Lake.

“It’s in part to do with our public health care teams have been going seven days per week from morning to late at night,” Chief Tammy Cook-Searson said about the decline. “They have been doing contact tracing and working with people who are COVID positive. We still do that on-reserve.”

The LLRIB has also taken other steps to decrease active cases by encouraging members and employees to become vaccinated. All members of council, along with the council of Elders, have been vaccinated and employees regardless of department need to be vaccinated as well. Band members who can prove they are fully vaccinated are also eligible for a $300 incentive.

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Cook-Searson believes the requirement of vaccine passports or negative tests to access certain businesses or services has been helpful. She noted the LLRIB has also ran radio advertisements in Cree about the effectiveness of vaccines and to ensure people are social distancing and wearing masks at community events.

“In Stanley Mission, we had a community outbreak declared and right away there were difficult decisions that were made by leadership where they had to go to remote learning at the schools,” Cook-Searson said. “They are phasing in in-classroom learning again. They also had check stop and that one has been taken down.”

Chief Tammy Cook-Searson, right, and her parents Charlie and Miriam Cook are fully vaccinated. (Submitted photo/Tammy Cook-Searson)

The effort has led to a dramatic increase in vaccination rates with 92 per cent of Grandmother’s Bay residents receiving a first dose, 91 per cent in Stanley Mission and 87 per cent in Stanley Mission. The current rate for both Air Ronge and La Ronge is 83 per cent with one dose and 74 per cent with two.

On Sept. 15, 70 per cent of residents in Air Ronge and La Ronge had one shot and 57 per cent had two.

Cook-Searson warned, however, children under 12 aren’t eligible for vaccinations and the band has a large population in that age group, so the public needs to continue to be proactive against COVID.

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derek.cornet@pattisonmedia.com

Twitter: @saskjourno