(The Canadian Press)

By Elliott Knopp

FDFN COVID

NITHA announces end of Flying Dust COVID-19 outbreak; vaccinations to begin next week

Jan 8, 2021 | 5:25 PM

The Northern Inter-Tribal Health Authority (NITHA) has declared an end to the COVID-19 outbreak announced on December 12 for the Flying Dust Health-Administration Centre.

NITHA Medical Health Officer Dr. Nnamdi Ndubuka said while the 28-day period after the last case with the potential to spread the virus has passed in Flying Dust First Nation, this does not mean there aren’t any cases. Officials are advising the public to continue following public health guidelines to ensure the risk of transmission remains low.

Lindsay Dennett, community health nurse, said healthcare workers will begin contacting residents next week and booking appointments for as early as Thursday with people who would like to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

“We’re calling all of the eligible people to see if they are interested in getting the vaccine, that way we are creating a list because the vaccine is only good for six hours once we puncture the vial,” Dennett said. “We want to make sure we have enough people to vaccinate so we don’t end up wasting our doses.”

Dennett explained the Government of Saskatchewan laid out a three-phase vaccination strategy that will see high-risk healthcare workers and seniors over 80 years old receive the first doses. From there on, residents aged 70 and older will be served, and the pattern will continue until all demographics have had the opportunity.

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“We’re having a clinic, and it’ll be by appointment,” Dennett said. “If the Elders can’t make it to the clinic, then we’ll do home visits. It’s a two-dose vaccine, so they’ll need to get a second dose a month later. There is no timeline, so we’re just calling the Elders in order of age and seeing if they want the vaccine or not.”

She added Elders who would like to get vaccinated but can’t make it to the clinic will have the opportunity to get vaccinated in their home.

As for other demographics, a clear distribution plan has not yet been announced as there is a limited supply of doses. Dennett stated an announcement will be posted on the NITHA Facebook page and residents will be contacted as more details become available.

The clinic is still following the current public health guidelines and will be speaking with individuals before their appointment. Officials are advising anyone with pre-existing health conditions to consult with their doctor to see if the vaccine is appropriate for them.

Anyone with questions or concerns can contact NITHA to speak with an official.

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Elliott.Knopp@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @ElliottKnopp