Today (Wednesday, September 1), Newfoundland and Labrador has eight new confirmed cases of COVID-19 since the last public advisory.

Contact tracing by Public Health is underway and anyone considered a close contact has been advised regarding quarantine according to current guidelines.

The first new case is a female in the Eastern Health region between 40-49 years of age. The case is related to international travel.

The second new confirmed case is a female in the Eastern Health region 70 years of age and older. The case is related to international travel.

The third new confirmed case is a male in the Eastern Health region between 20-39 years of age. The case is related to travel within Canada.

The fourth new confirmed case is a male in the Eastern Health region 70 years of age and older. The case is related to travel within Canada.

The fifth new confirmed case is a female in the Eastern Health region between 20-39 years of age. The case is related to international travel.

The sixth new confirmed case is a female in the Central Health region between 20-39 years of age and is a contact of a previous known case.

The seventh new confirmed case is a female in the Western Health region between 40-49 years of age. The case is related to travel within Canada.

The eighth new confirmed case is a female in the Western Health region under 20 years of age and is a contact of a previous known case.

There are two new recoveries since the last public advisory, one in the Eastern Health region and one in the Labrador-Grenfell Health region and 1,445 people have recovered. There is no one in hospital due to COVID-19.

There are two new presumptive positive cases in the Western Health region.

There are currently 27 active cases of COVID-19 in the province. The regional breakdown of the active cases is as follows:

• Eastern Health – 11
• Central Health – 3
• Labrador-Grenfell Health – 3
• Western Health – 10

To date, 271,909 tests have been administered.

It looks like we’re in for a significant hit at the pumps tomorrow.

Fuel watcher Dan McTeague predicts that gas will cost an extra six cents a litre in the province come midnight tonight while diesel and heating oil go up by about 5 1/2 cents.

Last Thursday, gas dropped by six cents a litre.

The Ajagutak Daycare in Hopedale registration forms are now available and can be picked up from the DHSD building.

Preference will be given to the parents who are continuing their education and/or working.

You will need your child’s MCP and beneficiary cards along with their immunization records.

There are 14 seats available.

Inuaggualuit registration is also available and can be picked up from the inuaggualuit room.

For more information, you can contact Tracy Dicker through email at tracy.dicker@nunatsiavut.com or call between 8:30 am to 12 pm and 1 to 4pm.

Copies of the Nunatsiavut Governments five-year strategy aimed at preserving, promoting and enhancing Labrador Inuttitut is now available to Beneficiaries of the Labrador Inuit Land Claims Agreement.

The 2021-2026 Inuttitut UKâlalluta, ilinniatitsilautta! Nunatsiavut Language Strategy provides a framework for projects and investments into language initiatives that are informed by input gathered from the Nunatsiavut Government and Beneficiaries of the Labrador Land Claims Agreement.

The strategy aims to work closely with Labrador Inuit communities, other Nunatsiavut Government departments, and other Inuit regions to determine best practices to preserve, promote and protect the language.

Upon completion of the strategy in 2026, the Nunatsiavut Government will gather what has been learned and engage Labrador Inuit in planning next steps.

For Media contact, you can reach Bert Pomeroy, Director of Communications at (709)896-8582.

Schools in Newfoundland and Labrador are set to reopen one week from today, and while many concerns around COVID-19 remain, the province’s Minister of Education is putting his faith in Public Health.

There has been a rise in COVID-19 cases across the province over the last week. Several exposure advisories were issued for Western Health over the weekend, and for Central Health at the beginning of the week.

That situation has led to some questioning how safe it will be to return to school next week.

Minister Tom Osborne maintains his confidence in public health advice. He says the department is in constant communication with Public Health, noting that there’s no concern right now but the school districts are ready to pivot if need be.

Meanwhile, Osborne says many classrooms across the province will have air filtration systems ready to go when classes start next week.

According to Osborne, the remaining units will be installed in classrooms throughout September.

CEO of the English School District, Tony Stack, says the order in which the systems are installed will be based on need.

He says priority will be given to schools without HVAC systems and to K-6 grade levels where students cannot yet be vaccinated.

OK Radio will have more information once it becomes available .

Adam Lidd of Nain is an Elder and had played in the brass band and played the violin since he was 15 years old.

After being in the brass band for a while he was chosen to learn the violin.

Lidd says that every instrument player learns by using Melody 16, which is straight forward and easy to learn.

He adds that he has been approached to teach the violin but was unable to at the time.

He says that today, young people use iPads to learn how to play a musical instrument, and that it’s a good resource to use.

We will be speaking with Adam Lidd later in the PiusituKavut Program to find out more.

Registration for daycare in Rigolet is now open and will be ongoing this week.

Kangnik Daycare is licensed to hold a capacity of 14 children between the ages of 24 to 69 months.

Priority is given to parents who are Nunatsiavut Beneficiaries that are working and/or continuing their education.

Parents who want to register their child or children can pick up a registration at the DHSD office.

If you have any questions, please contact Karen at 947-3309 extension 254.

The Department of Language, Culture and Tourism, in collaboration with Carleton University of Toronto, is presenting an Inuttitut Atlas Survey. The purpose of survey is to determine the number and proficiency level of Inuttitut speakers in Nunatsiavut. As well as to gather their thought on existing and desired Inuttitut Language Programming in our communities.

They are seeking one Survey Assistant in Hopedale, Postville, Makkovik and Rigolet, and two for Nain.

The applicant(s) must have good oral and written skills, be familiar with survey work, and be comfortable working on a computer to enter survey responses online.

Duties of Survey Assistant(s):

– Be at the survey location to distribute and collect surveys and consent forms, and answer any questions people may have
– Visit people’s homes to ask them the survey questions
– Input survey responses into an online website
– Sign a confidentiality agreement form
– Bilingual in Inuttitut and English would be an asset

Survey dates are yet to be determined.

Deadline for applications is Friday, September 10, 2021.

Interested applications can contact Rita-Ann Dicker at rita-ann.dicker@nunatsiavut.com or call 922-2052 or Robyn Martin at robyn.martin@nunatsiavut.com or call 922-2051.

The Torngat Wildlife, Plants and Fisheries Secretariat will be taking samples of geese this fall.

Any hunters in Nunatsiavut please consider contributing samples to help identify and learn more about the species and populations of geese that migrate through Nunatsiavut.

The Torngat Secretariat would especially like to get samples of the smaller geese that arrive later in the season.

Each sample includes a tail fan, head, and one full wing, one goose per bag and harvesters are asked to write the date of the harvest on the bag.

To donate samples you may contact the following in your community:

Carla Pamak in Nain, Ian Winters in Hopedale, George Gear in Postville, Errol Andersen in Makkovik and David Wolfrey in Rigolet.

Any submission will be entered into a draw for a dozen of goose decoys!

The Department of Transportation and Infrastructure has received approval from the Canadian Marine Advisory Council for all provincial vessels to return to full capacity.

At the start of the pandemic, capacity on provincial ferries had been reduced to 50 per cent. This was increased to 80 per cent in August 2020 and 85 per cent in May 2021.

In addition to this capacity change, the Canadian Marine Advisory Council has approved the resumption of canteen services on all vessels.

These approvals are based on recent public health recommendations within the province.

Ferry schedules, daily service updates, contact information, and more information on each ferry routes is available at www.gov.nl.ca/ti/ferryservices.