You may all be aware that the official decision on the return to in-person learning will be made on Thursday. We don’t know for sure yet that we’ll be heading back to school but we need to be prepared, just in case.

As we prepare for a potential return to school, we need your support and cooperation to make the transition as safe as possible.

Each student will receive a Covid 19 rapid test kit and an information sheet. Everyone receiving a kit is asked to hold it in a secure location until receiving the go-ahead to begin the testing process.

Kits will be available for pick up at the main entrance of the 4-12 school starting today, Wednesday, January 19th, from 1 to 4:30 p.m. and again from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Please refer to the schedule below.

In order to prevent crowding and allow for social distancing, we are asking that only one parent or guardian come to pick up the testing kits for each family.

If you have more than one child in school you can pick up all of kits for you family in one visit – you don’t need to make multiple trips.

Rapid testing kit pick up times for today Wednesday, January 19th:
1:00-1:15 Kindergarten
1:15-1:30 Grade 1
1:30-1:45 Grade 2
1:45- 2:00 Grade 3
2:00-2:15 Grade 4
2:15-2:30 Grade 5
2:30-2:45 Grade 6
2:45-3:00 Grade 7
3:00- 3:15 Grade 8
3:15- 3:30 Grade 9
3:30-3:45 Grade 10
3:45-4:00 Grade 11
4:00-4:15 Grade 12

If you have any questions, please call the school at 922-2813.
Thanks again for your support.

Beneficiaries of the Labrador Inuit Land Claims Agreement are advised that the 2022 Polar Bear licenses for the Labrador Inuit Settlement Area will be issued under a draw system.

Those are interested in having their name entered into a draw must present themselves at the Nunatsiavut Government office in their respective community with the Labrador Inuit Settlement Area and fill out the application form.

The application form must be filled out and submitted to your local Conservation Officer by 12 noon on February 1st for your name to be entered into the draw. The 2022 hunting season will be open on February 2nd.

If you require further information, contact your local Conservation Officer or Wildlife Manager, Jason Dicker at 709-899-04553 or 709-922-2942 ext. 249.

The Nunatsiavut Government wishes to provide the following COVID-19 update:

• As of today, January 18, there have been 24 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the community of Nain.
– There is currently one active case in the community.
– There are currently no presumptive positive cases in the community.
– 23 of the cases have recovered.

• There are no confirmed or presumptive cases in any other Labrador Inuit community.

• Newfoundland and Labrador remains in COVID-19 Alert Level 4 in an effort to decrease transmission of the virus.

The Nunatsiavut Government is also advising that the second vaccine dose for children between five and 11-years of age will begin in all Labrador Inuit communities in early February.

COVID-19 vaccine is a still available for:
• 12 years of age and over for first and second dose; and
• those 18 years and over, first, second and booster shots.

To make an appointment, please contact your community Public Health office.

With the current COVID-19 situation, Smart Ice have been quiet.

Rex Holwell Jr. is the Northern Production Lead.

He says that the Operator training program and the youth training program is on hold for now.

click here to hear more updates from Holwell Jr. on SmartICE.

Due to ongoing planning efforts between the Departments of Education and Health and Community Services, the decision on whether to resume in-person classes on January 24 has been deferred to Thursday, January 20.

As Monday, January 24 remains the target date for resumption of in-person classes, the rollout of rapid self-test kits for NLESD and CSFP schools will begin tomorrow at schools throughout the province. Parents and guardians, teachers and staff should receive notice today or tomorrow morning from their school administrator on the specific process for accessing kits in their own school communities.

Prior to the resumption of classes, all students, teachers and staff will be required to take two tests at home approximately 72 hours apart. Everyone receiving a kit is asked to hold it in a secure location until receiving the official go-ahead to begin the testing process. This notification will come in the form of a public advisory from the Provincial Government and communication from your school administrator.

While Monday, January 24 remains the target date for the return to in-class instruction, both departments continue to monitor the risk level for schools and to liaise with education partners, including the school districts and unions, before a final decision is made.

More information will be provided during the next COVID-19 update on Thursday, January 20. Specific details for that briefing, including how people can watch will be provided tomorrow (Wednesday, January 19).

Note, with a briefing planned for Thursday, there will not be a COVID-19 briefing tomorrow.

Today Tuesday, January 18, Newfoundland and Labrador has 295 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 since the last update yesterday.

There are 14 people in hospital because of COVID-19, 11 in non-critical care and three in critical care.

There have been 2,453 new recoveries – 1,878 in the Eastern Health region, 78 in the Central Health region, 113 in the Western Health region, 310 in the Labrador-Grenfell region and 74 unknown RHA, and 10,123 people have recovered.

Anyone who has tested positive must follow guidelines. Cases are advised to notify contacts as per instructions on the website.

The breakdown of the 295 cases is as follows:

• Eastern Health region – 160
• Central Health region – 49
• Western Health region – 60
• Labrador-Grenfell Health region – 17
• Unknown RHA – 9

There are currently 3,166 active cases of COVID-19 in the province. The regional breakdown of the active cases is as follows:

• Eastern Health – 2,415
• Central Health – 213
• Labrador-Grenfell Health – 191
• Western Health – 279
• Unknown RHA – 68

A total of 1,426 tests were completed since yesterday. To date, 458,633 tests have been administered.

One of our OK Radio staff contacted each of the community freezers to see what they have to offer.

In Hopedale, they have moose meat, cod fish, wieners for children only, chicken strips, French fries and some dry goods.

In the Postville community freezer, the have moose meat and cod.

The Nain community freezer only have char.

In Makkovik, they have char and a couple scallops.

The Rigolet Community Freezer have bakeapples, red berries and moose meat.

The Education Minister says the decision on whether or not to go ahead with the resumption of in-person learning in K-12 schools will trigger the distribution of rapid tests to students.

Government has set next Monday, January 24 as the target date, a final decision which will be announced tomorrow, January 19th, 2022.

Minister Tom Osborne says they’re in discussion with school officials and the union, and if and when the go-ahead is given, a plan on the distribution of rapid tests will be announced.

Osborne says they don’t want to send the tests out too early, if they’re not needed. He says they want to prevent the tests, which are in limited supply for the time-being, from being misplaced or misused.

A global shortage is casting doubt on what the province can expect in terms of delivery of rapid test kits over the coming months.

Students will be required to test twice before returning to school, with three tests available in case they develop symptoms once they’re back in class.

With schools, point-of-entry testing and long-term care homes among other needs, the province expects to burn through about one million rapid test kits a month.

Five rapid test kits per student will be distributed to families once the final go-ahead is given, but the Health Minister says access to rapid tests is limited. He told reporters yesterday that there is a global shortage of rapid test kits, and the province has not yet secured its supply of kits promised by Ottawa, with no confirmed date on delivery.

Haggie says the kits already sourced, and the half a million kits expected to arrive by the end of next week, have been sourced “independent of the federal chain.”

Two of the Postville Ground Search and Rescue members did some ice checks last Friday, January 14 northeast of Postville also to the southwest of Postville and here are the measurements:

Tom Oliver’s 12 inches
Spruce point 14 inches
Shoal point 17 inches
Lower spruce point 10 inches
Off of Libby’s brook 14 inches
Jim’s harbour (Jessie’s cabin) area 12 inches
Cape war 11 inches
Midway across the bay from cape war to little neck 11 inches

Southwest of Postville
Sandy point 9 inches
Joe sitters cove 11 inches
Big point 12 inches
Midway across from joe sitters cove to big point 10 inches
Captsian point 11 inches

Please note the area southwest of Postville ice measurements are measuring 9 inches at the thinnest places.

There are a number of small open areas (holes) between Joe Sitters Cove and Big Point; it is not recommended to use this route until all holes are frozen and safe for travel.

As for northeast of Postville, no other places were checked other than what’s mentioned if you are travelling in these areas, and please use care and caution.

Since the province went into Alert Level 4, the community of Makkovik has slowed down with all their projects.

Barry Andersen is the AngajukKâk of Makkovik.

He says that everything is on lockdown, shut down, on trying to keep the covid out of the community as best they can.

Click here to hear the update on the Makkovik Inuit Community Government.