As the coronavirus pandemic continues to sweep the world, the Cree Nation leadership has decided to follow Quebec’s directives on mask use in public indoor spaces, now requiring those over the age of 12 to wear masks.
At the mouth of the Great Whale River, the Cree community of Whapmagoostui shares several services with the neighbouring Inuit village of Kuujjuarapik, including a controversial landfill site at the edge of town.
While Eeyou Istchee continued its streak of no new cases of Covid-19 through late July, Cree health authorities are pushing back plans to move to Phase 4 of deconfinement as infections slowly rise across the province – including in neighbouring regions.
Fresh off the recent announcement to move the communities of Eeyou Istchee into Phase 3 of deconfinement, the Cree Board of Health and Social Services of James Bay (CBHSSJB) took another step to relax pandemic-related restrictions July 7.
The Cree Board of Health and Social Services of James Bay announced on June 23 that Eeyou Istchee was ready to enter Phase 2 of deconfinement, as Covid-19 cases remained static in the region.
With no new Covid-19 cases reported in a month, the number of total infections in the territory remains stable at 10.
After nearly three weeks without new infections, the Cree Health Board reported two more confirmed COVID-19 cases in Eeyou Istchee April 27, bringing the total in the territory to eight.
While the numbers from the Cree Board of Health’s April 15 COVID-19 public update showed that the region was the least infected in all of Quebec, Cree leadership insists the parade will have to wait.
To date, there have been five confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Eeyou Istchee, bringing the total of Cree currently fighting the virus to six -- one who was diagnosed and has been isolated and treated in Montreal at the Espresso Hotel.
The Eeyou Eenou Police Force (EEPF) is ticketing individuals in non-compliance with social distancing orders.
