'Exactly what we were afraid of': COVID-19 spreading among Sandy Bay First Nation children
COVID-19 cases are growing among children on Sandy Bay First Nation in Manitoba.
"I think where it started at the beginning was two children that are going to schools outside of the reserve," said the community's pandemic coordinator Virginia Lukianchuk.
"We've had remote learning in our community for some time because this is exactly what we were afraid of."
Lukianchuk said there are currently 31 active COVID-19 cases in the community. Of those, 16 are among children under the age of 18 -- some as young as 16 months old.
Currently, 37 homes are in isolation.
"It is really concerning, but we also have to remember that a lot of the homes are overcrowded," said Lukianchuk.
"There are a lot of children in one home, and if you have one positive child, it's hard to get them to isolate from the other children, so this is where we're seeing the spread within homes."
Most of the cases are the B.1.1.7 variant, also known as the Alpha variant.
Lukianchuk said the community has been under a stay-at-home order for several weeks, has an 11 p.m. curfew in place, and has been following the provincial COVID-19 rules and restrictions.
She said approximately 50 per cent of Sandy Bay's adult population has received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and about 25 per cent has been fully vaccinated.
Across the province, data up until June 10 shows 50.3 per cent of those living on reserve have been fully vaccinated while 31.9 per cent of First Nations people off-reserve have received both doses.
Pfizer is currently the only vaccine approved for those aged 12 to 17, but Moderna is what has been primarily available for First Nations communities.
"We have allocated Pfizer doses to our First Nations partners to be able to ensure that all youth who would like to be vaccinated on First Nations are able to," said Johanu Botha, co-lead of Manitoba's Vaccine Implementation Task Force.
Clinics have been held in Sandy Bay and will continue to help vaccinate youth.
"[Uptake is] not as good as we would like, but we're still seeing a pretty good uptake," said Lukianchuk.
"It's been a lot better just in this past week because of the numbers of the virus spreading amongst children, so we are getting a decent uptake now."
Members of Sandy Bay are being reminded to only leave their homes for essential reasons and to not gather with anyone outside their household at this time.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW After hearing thousands of last words, this hospital chaplain has advice for the living
Hospital chaplain J.S. Park opens up about death, grief and hearing thousands of last words, and shares his advice for the living.
BREAKING Police cordon off Iran consulate in Paris where man threatens to blow himself up: French media
French police cordoned off the Iranian consulate in Paris on Friday, where a man was threatening to blow himself up, Europe 1 radio and BFM TV.
Some Canadian families will receive up to $620 per child today
More money will land in the pockets of some Canadian families on Friday for the latest Canada Child Benefit installment.
BREAKING Iran fires at apparent Israeli attack drones near Isfahan air base and nuclear site
An apparent Israeli drone attack on Iran saw troops fire air defences at a major air base and a nuclear site early Friday morning near the central city of Isfahan, an assault coming in retaliation for Tehran's unprecedented drone-and-missile assault on the country.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
Ottawa to force banks to call carbon rebate a carbon rebate in direct deposits
Canadian banks that refuse to identify the carbon rebate by name when doing direct deposits are forcing the government to change the law to make them do it, says Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault.
Ontario woman loses $15,000 to fake Walmart job scam
A woman who recently moved to Canada from India was searching for a job when she got caught in an online job scam and lost $15,000.
After COVID, WHO defines disease spread 'through air'
The World Health Organization and around 500 experts have agreed for the first time on what it means for a disease to spread through the air, in a bid to avoid the confusion early in the COVID-19 pandemic that some scientists have said cost lives.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.