The Nunatsiavut Government is advising that there is continued COVID-19 activity in all Labrador Inuit communities.

While all provincial restrictions have been lifted, including capacity limits, masking, and proof of vaccination requirements, public health officials with the Nunatsiavut Government continue to urge residents in all communities to remain vigilant in helping to stop the spread of COVID-19.

The virus that causes COVID-19 will likely continue to present itself in all communities, and activity may or may not be documented or reported.

Individuals with symptoms, with no known exposure to the virus, should contact 811 or complete the online assessment tool at COVID Assessment and Referrals (HOME – NLCHI) to determine if testing is required.

Eight participants had the chance to go out for a five day trip with the Tuttusiugiannik program.

Mary Binky Andersen is the organizer of the program.

She says that they had a really good time out on the land.

Click here to hear more about the Tuttusiugiannik project coming from Andersen.

Air Inuit will finally be arriving in Nain since before COVID hit 2 years ago.

They will be offering Kangiqsualujjuaq and Kuujjuaq residents a chance to visit Nain this Easter from April 12 to April 23, 2022.

People from Nain will have a chance to visit either Kuujjuaq or Kangiqsualujjuaq. People from Nain, advertise this please.

You can use your beneficiary number, if you don’t have one, there will be a 30% discount.

You can call reservations at Air Inuit to book a reservation starting today at 1-800-361-2965.

If there is not enough demand, the flights will have to be cancelled.

Air Inuit will not make money with this.

Here is the schedule for the 2022 Anniavia-Makkivia Easter Special Moravian Church Services here in Nain:

Please note that the OKalaKatiget Radio will not be doing the Sunday Programs during the Easter Break

Tomorrow, Saturday, April 9th, OK Radio will be aiting the 7pm Allalirinik Reading.

On Sunday, April 10th, we will only be airing the 10am OKalajuk- Litururgy 4. And Allalirinik-Hosanna will be at 5pm.

On Monday, April 11th, there will be services at 5pm and 7pm.

OK Radio will also be airing the services at 5pm and 7pm on Tuesday, April 12th.

On Wednesday, April 13th, OK Radio will be off the air that day.

Maundy Thursday, April 14th, there will be services at 9am, 11am, 5pm and 7pm for Holy Communion

Good Friday, April 15th, OK Radio will be off the air.

On Saturday, April 16th, will be SerKutuvik Prayer, starting at 7pm

OK Radio will be off the air Easter Sunday, April 17th.

There will be a service at 10am, the Love Feast will be at 3pm and the closing service will be at 5pm on Monday, April 18th.

The province is reporting two new COVID related deaths and 41 hospitalizations due to the virus.

Five of those in hospital are in critical care. More than half of the provinces 41 hospitalizations are in Eastern Health Region.

Meanwhile there are 393 confirmed COVID cases being reported today, and another 283 yesterday.

Those numbers do not reflect those who have not reported positive rapid test results or those who are positive and have not been yet tested.

While not everyone is being tested, public health officials believe the province may have reached a peak of Omicron infections and is on the downward slope.

Yesterday Thursday April 7th, 2022 there were a total of 50 active cases in Voisey’s Bay.

There aren’t any contacts in isolation.

There are 26 in modified isolation.

The Federal Government highlighted some funding announcements from the 2022 budget today.

It includes funding- $475 million- for a onetime payment of $500 for Canadians who are facing challenges with housing affordably. The details, including eligibility requirements are yet to be announced.

A dental care program for children under the age of 12 years will be introduced this year for families with an annual income of $70,000 or less. That program is expected to be expanded to children up to the age of 18, seniors and people living with a disability 2023, with a full implementation by 2025 with certain limitations.

A big focus of this year’s budget rising cost of housing in many parts of the country.

Defense spending will increase by 6.1 billion over 5 years, $500 million in Military Aid, is being provided to Ukraine and another 1 billion in loans is being offered to Ukraine.

The provincial deficit for the just-ended 2021-22 fiscal year came in at $400 million, less than half of initial projections.

For 2022-23, the deficit is expected to be lower again, at $351 million.

Those numbers mark a sharp turnaround from the dire early pandemic days, when COVID-fuelled fiscal chaos punched a massive hole in the balance sheet.

The 2020-21 deficit was nearly $1.5 billion.

The province has reiterated that it is now on track to balance the books by 2026.

The province of NL has a quota of 12 polar bear licenses for 2022 and 11 of those are filled.

Todd Broomfield is the Director for Renewable Resources for the Nunatsiavut Government.

He says there’s just one license remaining now in the community of Rigolet.

Click here to hear more updates on the polar bear licenses with Broomfield.

Health says indicators suggest the province may have reached the peak in terms of the Omicron outbreak.

Health Minister, John Haggie suggested the same earlier this week.

As of last Wednesday, there were 47 people in the hospital due to COVID–19. 9 who are in critical condition. That’s the highest number hospitalizations at one time since the pandemic began.

The province reported 4 more deaths last Wednesday as a result of COVID-19.

Both the BA-1 and BA-2 sublimities of the Omicron variant have been identified among random sampling of positive PCR tests.

The BA-1 and BS-2 sublimities of the Omicron variant have been identified among samplings of positive PCR tests The BA-2 version of Omicron is more transmissible than BA-1, but does not result in more severe illness.

Chief Medical Officer of Health, Janice Fitzgerald says the modelling is primarily on a sampling PCR tests of people who are in 60 base, and the number of of hospitalizations – not just those who are admitted because of the virus but those admitted for other reasons who happen to have the virus. These indicators suggest to the modeling team that we may have missed the peak, but Fitzgerald you’ve only known you reached the peak once it passed.

The Nunatsiavut Government Elections Officer wishes to advise Beneficiaries of the Labrador Inuit Land Claims Agreement who work at Voisey’s Bay of the following Voting Procedures:

– Beneficiaries from Nain, Hopedale, Makkovik, Rigolet and Upper Lake Melville who start a two-week rotation at Voisey’s Bay from April 20-25 will only have the option of voting by mail-in ballots in the May 3 election for Ordinary Members.

– To obtain a mail-in ballot, please contact the Elections Office at 709-896-5222 or by emailing nennette.blake@nunatsiavut.com to obtain an application for a mail-in ballot.

Advance polls will be held in all constituencies on April 25, from 8 am to 8 pm.

Easter break is only a week away and communities along the coast are getting ready for the Easter Games.

Students along the coast will be starting their break next Thursday, April 14th, at 2pm until Monday, April 25th, 2022.

Jacqueline Harris is the Acting Recreation Director with the Postville Inuit Community Government.

She says they are planning to do their Easter Sports on Tuesday, April 19th until Friday, April 22nd.

Kim Andersen is the Team Leader in the Makkovik Department of Health and Social Development.

She says there will be different events, virtual and outdoors, starting on Saturday, April 16th.

We’ll get reports from the other communities along the coast once they become available.