Rapid tests for Nain students will be happening in school.
Megan Hudson is the Public Health Nurse.
She says the tests will be given out tomorrow, Thursday, January 27, 2022.
If parents or guardians need questions answered they can call 922 2962.
Click here to hear Hudson talk more about the tests.
Feb.2 is Widows Traditional Day, there were 4 widows celebrating and they went to church at 10 am and to the closing service at 5 pm. The Polar Bear Hunt started today with 12 available licences. It’s Groundhog Day also, it did not see its shadow and predicted an early spring.
Feb.3 saw that the 2022 Cains Quest was postponed to 2023. The Nunatsiavut Assembly First Sitting concluded today.
Feb.7 Music NL honoured the Nain Church Choir and the Nain Brass Band with its 2020 Lifetime Achievement Award.
Feb.9 unexpectedly saw 30 new cases of COVID-19 in the province.
Feb.10 the Labrador Creative Arts Festival will be held virtually this year.
Feb.11 Mark Brace of Bishop Falls was still waiting for paperwork to be ironed out through the summer to restart work at Ten Mile Bay. NL reported 100 new cases in the province. Non-essential travel was discouraged by NG to the province. NG also advised Nunatsiavut beneficiaries of changes to the allocation of gasoline and snowmobile oil (lube) under the COVID-19 Emergency Harvesters Support Program. Second dose of the Moderna vaccine was announced to start in the communities from Feb.11-Feb.16. Investigations were ongoing in the province in regards to the sudden outbreak and new protocols was put in place.
Feb.15 renovations was completed at the Labrador Friendship Centre. A presumptive positive test at Vale NL camp came back negative. The OK Society went into lockdown, meaning no visitors, and to send in requests by phone or email. The province was currently in it’s highest COVID-19 level and moved to Alert Level 5. 500 NL health care staff were in isolation.
Feb.18, the Canadian Constituency election unofficial results was announced and was as follows: Susan Sonya Onalik 218, Zippie Nochasak 186, Diane Gear-White 178, Patricia Kay Voisey 60, Selina Legge 34 and Sabina Jung 8.
Feb.22 there was a wakeup call of COVID-19 in the town of Makkovik, the results were negative. Coastal community freezers starts frozen food deliveries and leave it on people’s steps due to the pandemic. NL reported 14 cases a total of 407 in the province.
Feb.23, Susan Sonya Onalik was declared the winner for the Canadian Constituency position. The ban for the George River Caribou Herd has not changed. Torngat Regional Housing Association and crew went into lockdown on the north coast earlier this month. NL reported 15 new cases that leads to 372 in the province including some other businesses.
Feb. 24 Mud Lake received their first dose of the vaccine today.
Today, Tuesday, January 25, Newfoundland and Labrador has 296 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 since the last update on January 24. Anyone who has tested positive must follow guidelines. Cases are advised to notify contacts as per instructions on the website.
There are 20 people in hospital because of COVID-19, 15 in non-critical care and five in critical care. There have been 277 new recoveries – 171 in the Eastern Health region, 51 in the Central Health region, 29 in the Western Health region and 26 in the Labrador-Grenfell region, and 13,082 people have recovered.
The breakdown of the 296 cases are as follows:
· Eastern Health region – 219
· Central Health region – 30
· Western Health region – 38
· Labrador-Grenfell Health region – 9
There are currently 2,688 active cases of COVID-19 in the province.
The regional breakdown of the active cases are as follows:
· Eastern Health – 1,893
· Central Health – 365
· Labrador-Grenfell Health – 109
· Western Health – 321
A total of 1,756 tests were completed since yesterday and to date, 472,201 tests have been administered.
The Omicron variant has made its way into one of the provinces most vulnerable populations.
Gathering Places Executive Director, Paul Davies said last week they had a guest who was symptomatic and subsequently tested positive.
Since then, more positive cases have been identified, though Davies was hesitant in giving exact numbers at that time.
As well, he said since at Christmas they had several staff and quests, with Davies noting that some services have been suspended since late December due to Omicron outbreak.
Davies said the center remains open. He says those who are symptomatic, or who are positive, are isolating within the building. With funding from the Federal Government Homeless St. John’s has set up “COVID Hotel”, and eventually people who are symptomatic or test positive are moved there.
The operations of the Torngat Regional Housing Association will be folding end of March this year. It’s sad to hear to say after many years of service with the Association.
William Lucy is the Coordinator in Hopedale.
He says he hasn’t travelled to any communities since the COVID outbreak.
But says the Nunatsiavut Construction in Nain is working on the duplex.
Lucy says the Nunatsiavut Construction will take over last year’s repairs in Postville, and Rigolet’s busted pipe in one new home this spring.
We’ll have more news come next week.
The Nain Public Health staff will be administering COVID-19 vaccinations to children ages 5 to 11 years of age in Nain on Thursday, January 27th and Friday, January 28th, 2022.
• Public Health will be visiting Jens Haven Memorial School on Thursday, January 27 to administer Dose 2 to children in Grade 4 to grade 6. Please note that if your child requires Dose 1, call Public Health at 922-2962 to provide consent to immunize your child at school.
• Public Health will be holding a clinic at the Jeremias Sillitt Community Centre on Friday, January 28th from 10am to 6pm. Appointments from 3 to 6 pm are reserved for children in Grade Kindergarten to Grade 3 and children who have recently turned 5 years of age, who require Dose 1 or 2. Please make an appointment by calling Public Health; these children will not be immunized at school.
• Public Health staff recognize that due to the current COVID-19 situation, some children will not be returning to school this week. If your child is in grade 4 to grade 6 and will not be in school on Thursday, please call Public Health to schedule an appointment on Friday, January 28.
Please call the Public Health if you have any questions related to COVID-19 immunization.
The Nunatsiavut Government is reporting that there is currently COVID-19 activity in the Labrador Inuit communities of Nain, Hopedale and Rigolet. There have been no reports of cases in the communities of Postville and Makkovik to date.
Public health officials have advised that it is likely that the virus that causes COVID-19 will eventually be present in all communities. Individuals with symptoms, with no known exposure to the virus, should contact 811 or complete the online assessment tool at COVID Assessment and Referral (nlchi.nl.ca) to determine if testing is required.
Residents of all Labrador Inuit communities are asked to keep following all public health guidance and protocols, including those around isolation.
Symptoms of COVID-19 include:
• Fever, including chills or sweats
• A new or worsening cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Runny, stuffy or congested nose
• Sore throat or difficulty swallowing
• Headache
• Loss of sense of smell or taste
• Unusual fatigue or lack of energy
• New onset of muscle aches
• Loss of appetite
• Vomiting or diarrhea for more than 24 hours; and
• Small red or purple spots on hands and/or feet.
The Nunatsiavut Government is asking residents of all communities to be mindful of the situations of others, and to be kind and refrain from spreading rumors or stereotyping those who may have contracted COVID-19 or who are in isolation awaiting test results.
Please note that the second vaccine dose for children between five and 11 years of age will begin in all Labrador Inuit communities in early February. The vaccine is a still available for those 12 years of age and over for first and second shots, and to those 18 years of age and over for first, second and booster shots.
To make an appointment, please contact your community Public Health office.
The Men’s Traditional Day would be today but is postponed due to the COVID-19 that occurred in Nain a few weeks ago.
We’ll have to wait for that to go ahead sometime. It’s the same for Widows Day on February 2, and the 251st Anniversary in Nain Moravian Church on the 19th each year, and Married Couples Day on the 28th, including possible for Young Women’s Day on the 6th.
We should find out soon what happens next.
The Nain Recreation Departments are all closed due to the COVID that occurred few weeks back.
Lisa Ivany is the Recreation Director.
She says it’s been a month since the Torngat Mountains players was to start now, the Husky Centre is ready to start operation when there’s a go-ahead to start.
It’s the same with the programs up to the JS Centre building such as the after-school program and bingo that everyone is still waiting for to start.
Ivany says there’s not much anyone can do at this point and time, just wait for a go-ahead from Town Council, and added there’s only cleanup and sanitizing up to the building each day.
Click here to hear Ivany talk about the programs.
Today, Monday, January 24, Newfoundland and Labrador has 349 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 since the last social media update on January 23. Anyone who has tested positive must follow guidelines. Cases are advised to notify contacts as per instructions on the website.
There are 21 people in hospital because of COVID-19, 16 in non-critical care and five in critical care.
There have been 335 new recoveries – 252 in the Eastern Health region, 24 in the Central Health region, 48 in the Western Health region and 11 in the Labrador-Grenfell region, and 12,805 people have recovered.
The breakdown of the 349 cases are as follows:
· Eastern Health region – 274
· Central Health region – 42
· Western Health region – 25
· Labrador-Grenfell Health region – 8
There are currently 2,669 active cases of COVID-19 in the province. The regional breakdown of the active cases are as follows:
· Eastern Health – 1,844
· Central Health – 385
· Labrador-Grenfell Health – 127
· Western Health – 313
A total of 2,015 tests were completed since yesterday. To date, 470,445 tests have been administered.