Attawapiskat cases show need for rapid COVID testing, Mushkegowuk Council chief says

The Grand Chief of Mushkegowak Council wants rapid COVID-19 testing in his northern Ontario communities.

Jonathan Soloman says the situation in Attawapiskat First Nation is proof that results are needed within hours of the swab test.

Attawapiskat, an isolated community on the James Bay coast is now in a lockdown after five positive cases of COVID-19 were confirmed by the Weeneebayko Health Authority on Thursday.

A lockdown means there is no non-essential travel allowed in or out of the community, until the measure is lifted.

All five cases are within the same household and all are in quarantine.

"That's the scary part, we don't know if there is community spread," chief Soloman said. Mushkegowak Council is the regional chiefs council which represents the seven Cree First Nations in northern Ontario, including Attawapiskat.

"The community enacted their pandemic plan once they were advised that one of their citizens had the virus in their system," Soloman said.

Swabs flown out of community for assessment

In the most recent cases, rapid COVID-19 tests were conducted, and then the swabs were flown on a charter flight to Timmins to process the results.

Soloman says his biggest concern is that normally swabs must be flown out of the Mushkegowuk communities to the hospital in Moose Factory to be assessed. It takes five to seven days for results to come in.

"People are just maybe wandering around, going to see their friends and stuff like that, may have been tested about five to seven days later and without knowing the test results it may come back positive," Solomon said.

"That's how the virus spreads — because of the number of days people have to wait to get their test results from a swab."

The chief calls the situation very concerning, wondering what would happen if there was inclement weather that prevented the flights from taking the swabs out for assessment.

"It usually happens in our area, like the weather is down and flights can not fly and can't come in for a day or two."

Advocating for rapid COVID-19 testing

Soloman has been advocating for rapid COVID-19 testing within each of the Mushkegowuk communities, so results can be known within a few hours.

"None of our communities in the north have that, except the hospital in Moose Factory," he said.

When news was confirmed about the cases in Attawapiskat, Soloman says there was great concern across all of the communities. 

"We don't have extra hospitals to take care of the people that may be in a dire situation, an ICU situation."

Soloman says Mushkegowuk Council is also in discussion about what will happen once the ice road opens for the winter.

"We have a health person that's working to develop a protocol with the corporation that oversees the winter road program, and working with each community in regards to what they will request or protocols that will be in place."