WINNIPEG -- Provincial health officials are strongly recommending people get tested for COVID-19 before travelling or returning to First Nations communities.
The First Nations COVID-19 Pandemic Response Team said testing should be done three days before travelling and they should be following the health orders the entire time.
"Even if someone test negative, they still need to follow all public health measures because it's not a guarantee that you will stay negative," said Dr. Marcia Anderson, who is the public health lead for the response team.
Anderson said people don't have to isolate while they wait for their test results unless they have symptoms or they are coming from out of province.
Dr. Jazz Atwal, the acting chief provincial public health officer, said people don't need to be tested if they have been diagnosed with COVID-19 in the last three months.
"However, testing is still recommended for individuals who have received one or two doses of a vaccine," said Atwal.
The response team also provided an update to vaccination rates saying 13,310 vaccine doses have been administered and 65 per cent of those were on reserve.
While the first dose is important to protect people, Anderson is warning people that they can still catch COVID.
"We know people are still getting infected and passing on COVID-19 even after that first dose. We need you to keep in mind, even after you get vaccinated, you have to be really diligent with following those public health measures," said Anderson.
The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs reported 37 new COVID-19 cases on First Nations for a total of 768 active cases.
It's also reporting one death and one confirmed case of a variant of concern.
