Yesterday, Monday, March 28, 2020, there were 70 (plus 30 since last update) confirmed active cases of COVID-19 in Voisey’s Bay.
There are 77 (plus 20 since last update) close contacts in isolation.
All positive cases and close contacts are in isolation.
The next update will be on Thursday, March 31.
The minister responsible for wildlife says the online system for applying for big game hunting licenses has been in place for several years and is a much more efficient way of doing things than the paper trail.
Exploits MHA Pleaman Forsey says he has been receiving numerous complaints from people who can’t get a return phone call or email and have to wait an inordinate amount of time to move through the process.
Minister Derrick Bragg says they’re processing about 2,000 applications a day and that 77 per cent of the hunters in the province have already registered.
He notes that years ago, people had to use their MCP number but now it’s a driver’s license. Bragg encourages people to call the dedicated line at 637-2025 if they encounter a glitch.
Visitor restrictions are in place at 4 facilities in the Eastern Health jurisdiction because of COVID-19 among patients.
They include Burin Peninsula Health Care Centre but only the medical/surgery unit. Visitation to the remainder of the hospital is impacted.
St. Clare’s Mercy Hospital visitor restrictions are in place for 4 West unit but not the rest of the facility.
Private Josiah Squibb Memorial Pavilion, Carbonear. Visitor restrictions are in place in both 2 South and 3 North units, but not the rest of the facility.
Regular visitation can resume at the Clarenville Protective Community Care Residence and Blue Crest Nursing Home in Grand Bank.
NAPE says health care workers are running on empty following 2 years working through the pandemic.
NAPE president, Jerry Earle says they have been burning the candle at both ends and he wonders how much longer exhausted workers can “continue to prop up an early-beleaguered health care system.”
Hundreds of health care workers across the province are currently isolating.
The province reported 40 are hospitalized due to COVID-19 yesterday. He says government talks about “living with COVID” but he thinks a plan is needed for what that life will looks like because it appears the province “is making it up day by day.”
The provinces health minister admits managing COVID-19 continues to be a challenge.
John Haggie says having frontline staff isolating is putting added strain on the system as COVID continue to rise.
He acknowledges the evolving situation is a concern, and health officials are monitoring the situation closely.
The positive news says Haggie is that the number of staff in isolation across the health care system dropped just over 780 on Monday. He calls that significant drop compared to the last figures, which was 1,000.
The National Film Board (NFB) have been making and setting up documentaries about our Inuit Culture.
Ossie Michelin is with the NFB, and Amy Winters is a resident from Happy Valley-Goose Bay.
They have been making a film with Winters’ son, Evan where he has been learning how to drum dance.
Michelin and Winters say they have been filming for about two years, following along with Amy and Evan.
Click here to hear more of the documentary “Evan’s Drum” coming from Michelin and Winters.
The 5th Annual Gracie Flowers Memorial Ice Hockey Tournament was held in Nain this past weekend.
William Flowers is the organizer for the tournament.
Our local Atom/Peewee, Female/Women, and Men’s division have been playing at the Husky Centre from Tuesday, March 22nd until Saturday, March 26th.
The puck dropped with team NGC vs. team Torngat to start the tournament on Tuesday with NGC taking the win.
On Wednesday, March 23rd, it was team Torngat against team NGC again, with another win for team NGC having the lead of 3 to nothing in a best four out of seven series, which makes Team NGC led by Jamal Kohlmeister winning the tournament.
The Female and Women was going to play against a team from Makkovik but later played with the Atom/Peewees boys.
Team Gracie, led by Peyton Dicker won the 5th annual tournament, having a lead of two straight games.
On March 25th in the Men’s Division, it was the Redcats vs. the Warriors, next, the Dicker team vs. the Redcats.
On Saturday, it was the Dicker Team vs. the Warriors, and after that game was the Warriors vs. the Redcats, leading on the Semi-finals where the second-place team went against the third-place team, having the last game being the championship game.
The Warriors are the champions in the men’s division this year, defeating the Dicker Team in the Championship game.
Congratulations to all the champions of the 5th Annual Gracie Flowers Memorial Tournament.
ITK President Natan Obed and Nunavik residential school survivor Martha Greig address the media Monday morning from the Vatican following an Inuit delegation’s meeting with Pope Francis.
“This is a time for actions, and we’ve put some very clear actions forward to the Catholic Church and the Canadian Council of Catholic Bishops,” Obed told the media briefing.
“We look forward to working in partnership with them to realize the actions that are necessary to bring reconciliation, to bring healing to communities, and to bring justice to those who have not had justice yet.”
You can watch the full press conference at www.youtube.com.
The traditional dog team races lives on.
Bill Russell Sr. and his son William Russell Jr. joined side by side on their first dog team race. The race that was held in Alexis Bay, near Port Hope Simpson in Southern Labrador.
The two went to the Eric Rumbolt Memorial’s sled race on Saturday, March 19.
Russell Sr said there was a lot of pressure with 11 teams, but he made sure his son was well set up before the take off and preparing his own dogs for the race. He shared his 12 dogs with his son William Jr. which are all from the same litter.
“It was a good day”, said Russell Sr, “glad he was out there and had fun.”
The 17-year-old, Russell Jr. told CBC his first competitive race was fun and a lot more tiresome than he thought it would be. He placed 10th and his dad came in 6th.
Russell Sr. has been racing dogs since he was 13 and they’re important part of his life and family’s life he said. It was great to see dozens of spectators watching, and added suggesting interest in the sport is picking up.
“It seems like it’s picked up again there now because there’s lots of kids interested in dogs”, he said. His son agrees.
“I think more people are going to get interested in and more people are going to racing and I think it’s always going to be a big fun, exciting event for everyone”, he said. In the fall, Russell Jr. heads off to University in Newfoundland but he hopes to return to Labrador after school if the opportunity arises and start his own independent dog team instead of sharing it with his dad like he does now.
“Just the whole thing with all the dogs and even just taking care of them and having them around”, William said it is cool. “It’s just really fun and is also somewhat relaxing when you’re not in a race. It’s just like lie back and sit and let the dogs take you away.”
The province is clarifying the requirement for the COVID-19 anti-viral pill.
The Department of Health and Community Services says the pill Paxlovid, may be an option for those who are within five days of symptom onset and have received a positive test, either rapid or PCR.
The person must also be moderately to severely immunocompromised and not expected to mount an adequate immune response regardless of vaccine status.
It’s also for individuals over 80 who have to receive the full course of COVID-19 vaccine, or under vaccinated-individuals over 60 living in remote-communities, long-term care settings, or indigenous communities.
The department says the province is targeted to receive 14,000 treatment courses of Paxlovid, so they have to prioritize where it is used at this time.
On behalf of the Nunatsiavut Elections Officer, the Nunatsiavut Government is advising Beneficiaries of the Labrador Inuit Land Claims Agreement that the list of nominated candidates for the May 3 general election for Ordinary Members to the Nunatsiavut Assembly is expected to be released tomorrow morning Tuesday, March 29.
Ordinary Members are chosen from the constituencies of Nain, Hopedale, Postville, Makkovik, Rigolet, Upper Lake Melville and Canada. Two seats are available in Nain, Upper Lake Melville and Canada, while one seat is available in all other constituencies with nominations closing at 2 p.m.
Advance polls will be on April 25.
Voting Rules and Regulation:
– Every Beneficiary 16 years of age and older on polling day is qualified to vote.
– In order to vote in a polling station in a constituency, a Beneficiary must be an ordinary resident of that constituency.
For more information, you can contact Nannette Blake, Nunatsiavut Elections Officer at 709-896-5222 or by email at nannette.blake@nunatsiavut.com.