Tag: Kahnawake

The Kahnawà:ke COVID-19 Task Force wishes to advise the community that, effective immediately, there have been updates to Directives pertaining to Outdoor Fitness Activities and Tennis.

Outdoor Fitness classes will be permitted for groups of up to 8 people, provided special measures listed in the Directive are observed, which include physical distancing and other health recommendations. Special recommendations are also available for Instructors and Facilitators to keep their clients safe. At this time, no indoor fitness programs will be permitted.

Due to the inherent nature of there being physical distance between opponents, the sport of Singles Tennis will also be permitted. All recommendations for health and safety should also be observed.

The full details on the Health Recommendations for each Directive can be viewed at covid-19.kmhc.ca/directives.  

Please note, the Tentative Date of June 22, 2020 has been set for the following businesses in the community: Hair Salons, Esthetics, and Therapeutic Services. Further details will be forthcoming.

These measures are put in place to help minimize the spread of the virus within our community and to help protect our most vulnerable. Working as a community, we can limit and manage its spread.  

The Kahnawà:ke COVID-19 Task Force is advising Community Businesses identified in phase one of the tentative re-opening of the Kahnawà:ke economy on June 1^st, that they must:

• Contact the Task Force for a business inspection before opening. Call 450-632-0635 to request an inspection.
• Review the information packages on the Kateri Memorial Hospital Centre website at http://covid-19.kmhc.ca/forbusiness

For further information on the tentative re-opening, please call 450-632-0635 to inquire.

The Task Force thanks everyone for their patience and understanding as we prepare for this next step together.

The Kahnawà:ke COVID-19 Task Force wishes to advise the community that the plan for the Reopening of the Kahnawà:ke Economy has been completed and is now available. Click here to view.

While June 1^st has been announced as a possible date for a gradual reopening of business, it must be made clear that this is ONLY TENTATIVE and could be revised according to available health information and other factors.

“We mandated an Economic advisory team to provide us with their perspective, then collaborated with the health and safety side to find a proper balance,” said Commissioner of Public Safety Lloyd Phillips on behalf of the Task Force. “Health will always be the top priority but we also understand the need to get our economy going. We will continue to work with specific industries to get them open as quickly and safely as possible.”

The Reopening of Kahnawà:ke Economy package is a comprehensive set of documents that ALL Kahnawà:ke business owners need to become familiar with to support opening in a safe and organized manner. It includes information specific to all types of businesses, including retail, manufacturing, construction, childcare and home childcare sectors, restaurants and the food processing industry.

The easy to access documents include information on sanitary standards, physical distancing, hand hygiene & respiratory etiquette, exclusion of symptomatic workers, and other guidelines.

The Kahnawà:ke COVID-19 Pandemic Task Force consists of designated health and safety representatives from Kahnawà:ke’s service organizations

The Kahnawà:ke COVID-19 Task Force wishes to inform the community that it has updated the Essential Services List.

The list will now include swimming pool companies for the purposes of openings and repairs. No new pool installations will be permitted at this time.  

“We have been consistent in stating that the Task Forcewill continuously reassess all the directives and measures in place,” said Commissioner of Public Safety Lloyd Phillips. “With the weather expected to get nicer, we want to encourage people to stay home to stop the spread of the virus, and since a swimming pool is an extension of the home, this just makes sense.”

All regular rules still apply for physical distancing while any work is taking place, and then only members of the household are allowed to use the pool.

“The Task Force also has a responsibility to consider the social well-being of community members,” continued Phillips. “We hope that having another source of recreation within the home for families will help to relieve the stress and anxiety we know people are experiencing during this difficult time,”

For a comprehensive listing of all directives issued to date, visit http://covid-19.kmhc.ca/directives. The Task Force appreciates everyone’s patience and compliance during this challenging time.

The Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke (MCK) wishes to remind community members that, regarding the current State of Emergency in the Territory due to COVID-19, any issues that are of a political nature should be addressed to the appropriate bodies and NOT the COVID-19 Task Force.

“The Task Force is a neutral body that does not – and will not – act in a politically motivated manner,” said Grand Chief Joseph Tokwiro Norton. “As everyone knows, the Task Force has been given an enormous and highly important job. As a group, they have to make many decisions on a daily basis, all with the main priority of keeping us all safe and healthy. While they answer a great many questions every day, it has become apparent there are a significant number that should be handled by other entities, such as the MCK or the Longhouses.”

“We ask that anyone who has these questions or issues direct them to the entities that can deal with them, to avoid taking time away from the Task Force team,” he added. “The staff is already overworked and dealing with a situation that changes on a daily – and sometimes hourly – basis.”

The MCK wishes to thank the community for its understanding and continued support for the Task Force as it helps us navigate these difficult and unprecedented times. 

The Kahnawà:ke Covid-19 Task Force wishes to announce the results of the one-month review survey conducted between April 14 and 19, 2020.

Three hundred forty-three (343) persons participated in the survey. The survey results can be viewed here.

Some of the key results included:

• Over 94% claim to ALWAYS or OFTEN follow Task Force Directives/Suggestions
• Over 95% claim to wash their hands thoroughly and often
• Over 88% left their property for essential reasons, 42% for exercise and nearly 40% for work
• 79% have not shown any symptoms at all
• Less than 8% come into close contact (within 2 meters or 6 feet) of others Always or Often when off their property

Of the 25 people who were tested for COVID-19, less than 70% self-isolated.

The Kahnawà:ke COVID-19 Task Force wishes to provide an update to the community regarding certain essential services provided within the Territory. Garden soil deliveries from outside the community for food creation are permitted.
 
Please note that the Task Force has determined that the original Directive regarding Construction will remain in place:

• Only essential/emergency home repairs are permitted at this time. Emergency repairs are those that directly affect the health or safety of those in the home
• The situation in the province has not reached its peak and Kahnawà:ke will maintain its plan regardless of Quebec’s announcements on this topic
• “Kahnawà:ke is for residents only” will be maintained, aside from essential and emergency community needs
• This situation will be reassessed in one week

Emergency Repairs permitted including, but not limited to, the following:

• Flooding of the property
• Broken heating/cooling system
• Backed-up sewage system affecting the property
• Broken lock allows persons to enter without the use of a key
• Electrical/wiring problems creating fire or electrocution hazard
• Leaking roof
• Leak in household plumbing
• Broken refrigerator or stove
• Anything that poses an immediate health or safety threat in the home

Landscaping/Gardeners permitted, as per the following:

• Any local Kahnawà:ke landscaping or landscape maintenance including nurseries and garden services are permitted to operate
• Garden soil deliveries from outside the community for food creation.
• Any local Kahnawà:ke pool service company can open pools. Non-local companies are still on hold at this time – to be reassessed

If you require essential or emergency repairs, please contact Public safety at 450-632-0635. They will send an inspector to verify and explain the process to you.

Please note that the primary principle of these directives is to ‘Keep Kahnawà:ke for Kahnawà:ke residents only” to help prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus. The Task Force appreciates your understanding and patience.

The Kahnawà:ke COVID-19 Task Force wishes to remind the public that it continues to operate on two main principles:  

• Kahnawake is for Residents only
• Kahnawà:ke is operating on essential services only

There are other Directives, but these are the Task Force’s guiding principles.

“We will stay the course for the next week or so (depending on medical advice) when we will reassess all the directives and measures in place,” said Commissioner of Public Safety Lloyd Phillips. “The sole purpose of our actions is to protect the health and safety of our community. All directives regarding COVID-19 apply to everyone within the territory. There are no exceptions – we are all in this together.”

For a comprehensive listing of all directives issued to date, visit http://covid-19.kmhc.ca/directives. The Task Force appreciates everyone’s patience and compliance during this challenging time.

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The Kahnawà:ke COVID-19 Pandemic Task Force consists of designated health and safety representatives from Kahnawà:ke’s service organizations