Natuashish reporting double-digit case numbers as COVID-19 hits community for first time

COVID-19 has entered the isolated community of Natuashish for the first time — in a large way — and contact tracers are having difficulties, according to Mushuau Innu First Nation Chief John Nui. 

Nui said he and council got their first update from their health workers on Tuesday, and the community of 935 people, located 295 kilometres north of Happy Valley-Goose Bay, has since reported 30 cases.

"With the size of our community, that number is very big to us and we are very concerned and rightfully so," Nui said. "Everybody is concerned. Most people are isolated in their own homes and stay within their bubble.… We can beat this if we work together."

Those cases don't include the number of people who were close contacts with confirmed cases and have symptoms because they're being advised to not be tested due to a backlog in the province. 

As a precaution, the community isn't allowing any commercial flights to land. Labrador-Grenfell Health said it supports the Innu Nation's decision to lock down the community.  

The youngest case is a two-year-old while the oldest case is a 55-year-old, Nui said. Contact tracing is ongoing, he said, but it's been challenging.

"It's very hard for them because some of them are new and they have to have help from the community members to make this work … sort of getting in contact with the people that are on the list," he said. 

The community does have enough testing supplies, he said, but some people in the community don't have phones and have to be contacted on social media or in other ways.

Labrador-Grenfell Health said the outbreak in Natuashish reflects the pandemic spread of the Omicron variant. The health authority said it's working closely with the First Nation to support the challenges and needs specific to remote communities like theirs in health emergencies, such as limited isolation capacity for residents.

When asked how the outbreak started, Nui said a person who tested positive went into the community store, and a public health investigation is ongoing. He later clarified that he cited the store as an example of how the virus has spread, not as the source of the outbreak. He said the First Nation isn't sure of the source of the infection but it's believed to have come from people travelling from Happy Valley-Goose Bay. 

Labrador-Grenfell cases continue to rise

Cases throughout the Labrador-Grenfell Health region continued to rise on Wednesday, with 97 new cases reported in the region, and 725 total reported active cases — again, with some cases potentially being unreported due to public health's recommendation that symptomatic close contacts of confirmed cases don't get tested but assume themselves to positive.

At last report, the Inuit community of Nain had 15 confirmed cases and three presumptive cases. The Sheshatshiu Innu First Nation is reporting 14 active cases.

Labrador West MHA Jordan Brown says the region has 60 active cases.

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