Month: April 2021

The Kahnawà:ke COVID-19 Task Force wishes to advise the community that Directive 61 Employees Working with a Vulnerable Clientele has been enacted to ensure the maximum level of safety and protection of the most vulnerable Kahnawa’kehró:non.

(Click here to view Directive 61)

It is hereby directed that, until a return to normalcy, all employees that work with vulnerable clientele must provide proof to their employer of one dose of the COVID-19 vaccination:

• Kateri Memorial Hospital Centre
• KSCS
• Kahnawà:ke Fire Brigade (Medical Transport, and paramedics); and
• Peacekeepers

This list also pertains to employees working in these organizations who have been reassigned from other locations or organizations.

Those employees who cannot provide proof of vaccination, or refuse to be vaccinated, must undergo screenings three (3) times per week. This measure significantly increases ability for early detection of COVID-19 and decreases significantly the risk of asymptomatic transmission.  Employees refusing screening will be subject to additional measures within their organizations (see directive 61).

Due to the nature of the pandemic, Directive 61 over-rides organizational policy and remains valid throughout the State of Emergency, under the Kahnawake Emergency Preparedness Law. 

From day one, the Task Force has been clear in its mandate:  we must protect the most vulnerable. This is another measure in pursuit of that goal.

Remember: DISTANCE – HYGIENE – MASK – VACCINATION

The Kahnawà:ke COVID-19 Task Force wishes to advise the community that a positive COVID-19 case has been identified at the Kateri Memorial Hospital Centre (KMHC) today. We would like to reassure the community that immediate measures are being implemented to ensure the health and safety of residents, staff, and their families at this time. 

We are informing the community because of the increased risk related to variants. 

THIS IS NOT AN OUTBREAK AS ONLY 1 CASE HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED.  MEASURES BEING IMPLEMENTED ARE PROACTIVE AND PREVENTATIVE AS A RESULT OF COVID-19 VARIANTS:

• All identified residents are presently in isolation
• All identified residents have undergone COVID-19 screening
• All visitation on the 2^nd floor is on hold until results are in and further analysis can be done regarding the level of risk
• KMHC’s Local Public Health Team has completed contact tracing

COVID-19 remains present and a significant risk at the present time within the community. Considering the lack of scientific information regarding variants, it is imperative that strict measures be implemented to protect our residents and limit transmission.

This situation, as well as the recent case at Kahnawake Survival School, is further evidence that the community must continue to maintain all COVID-related measures at all times.

DISTANCE-HYGIENE-MASK-VACCINATION-WELL-BEING

The Kahnawà:ke COVID-19 Task Force wishes to advise the community that a positive COVID-19 case has been identified at the Kahnawake Survival School (KSS) today. We would like to reassure the community that immediate measures are being implemented to ensure the health and safety of the students, staff, and their families at this time:

• All students and teachers from the identified classroom are in isolation as of today, Friday, April 16^th
• KMHC’s Local Public Health Team has completed contact tracing

This communique is to reassure all staff and students of KSS that all contacts have been notified. If you have not received a phone call from KMHC Local Public Health Team, then you are not considered a contact despite the fact that you attend KSS.

The Kahnawà:ke COVID-19 Task Force and the Kateri Memorial Hospital Centre would like to remind the community of the importance of new masking recommendations. Despite the high vaccination rate for the community, proper masking adds an additional layer of protection against the transmission of the COVID-19 virus and the variants, to further protect our loved ones and those who are most vulnerable.

It is now recommended that the general public;

• Wear a medical-like masks (3-ply) rather than cloth masks
• Wear a medical-like mask (3-ply) at all outdoor environments when within a 2-meter distance of other people not from your household; and
• Ensure you keep a 2-meter distance from other people when out shopping for groceries, for example

This recommendation is put in place to help minimize the spread of COVID-19 related variants within our community and to help protect our most vulnerable. Working as a community, we can limit the spread of COVID-19.