Yesterday, December 8th, 2020 Newfoundland and Labrador had one new confirmed case of COVID-19.

The one new confirmed case is a male in the Eastern Health region between 50-59 years of age.

The case is travel-related. The individual, a resident of Newfoundland and Labrador, returned to the province from work in the Northwest Territories.

The individual is self-isolating and contact tracing by Public Health officials is complete.

The investigation by Public Health into the source of the infection for the case announced Saturday, December 5th, in the Central Health region is continuing.

Newfoundland and Labrador has 28 active cases of COVID-19.

There has been one recovery in the Western Health region since yesterday’s public advisory. This means 320 people have recovered from the virus.

No one is in hospital due to the virus.

To date, 64,967 people have been tested.

Public Health is reminding people to strictly adhere to the orders from the Chief Medical Officer of Health.

People must remain vigilant and follow all Public Health measures to protect themselves, their families, and their communities from the spread of COVID-19.

In Alert Level 2, Newfoundlanders and Labradorians should continue to practice good infection prevention and control practices.

The community of Hopedale has some activities planned for Christmas this year.

Sukie Aggek is the Recreation Director with the Hopedale Inuit Community Government.

The Best Decorated House Contest will end on Friday, December 11th at 4pm, the judges will be going around town.

First prize winner will get $300 with a food hamper, second will get $200 plus a food hamper and third place winner will get $100 and a food hamper.

The Tree Lighting will also be taking place on December 11th.

There will be a contest for the Best or Creative Decorated Christmas Cake contest on December 16th from 6pm to 7pm at the Nanuk Centre.

Participants must bring their cakes in by 4:30pm and all cakes entered will be donated to the seniors.

The Christmas Radio Bingo will be held on December 17th.

They can only allow two people at a time to get their bingo cards and the prizes after the bingo.

On December 23rd, Aggek will be partnering with the Department of Health and Social Development Staff to deliver Supper plates to the seniors.

There have been programs being held at the Youth Centre here in Nain.

Denise Cole is the SHIELD Project Coordinator.

She says she held a Girl’s Night at the Youth Centre and will be holding more programs not just for youth but also for adults as well.

Cole adds that she’ll premiere Ethan Angnatok’s music video, “Flightless Birds”.

We will hear more from Cole about her visit to Nain sometime this week.

Here is a press release dated December 8th, 2020 made by the Nunatsiavut Government, regarding the Nalcor downplaying elevated concentrations of methylmercury in Muskrat Falls Reservoir.

The Nunatsiavut Government has raised concerns over recent statements made by Nalcor Energy, and that increases in concentration of methylmercury in the Muskrat Falls reservoir and Churchill River are in line with what was initially projected before impoundment.

“Nalcor is intentionally misrepresenting the numbers by suggesting that the concentrations of methylmercury are substantially lower than guideline levels in drinking water.”

We spoke with The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources for the Nunatsiavut Government, Greg Flowers, to find out more about NG’s position.

Ministers Flowers says that this is not the issue nor the concern, but rather the increases in methylmercury in species like fish and seals.

Minister Flowers is still encouraging the harvesting and consumption of healthy, nutritious and culturally appropriate food like fish, birds and seals from Lake Melville.

Meanwhile, staff with the Department of Lands and Natural Resources is planning to hold meetings this winter with Beneficiaries of the Labrador Inuit Land Claims Agreement residing in Rigolet and Upper Lake Melville to discuss ongoing concerns related to Muskrat Falls.

As well as to provide an overview on the Nunatsiavut Government’s monitoring programs.

We have spoken to Minister Greg Flowers and we will be airing his interview tomorrow.

So far the Makkovik Online Auction for the Makkovik Moravian Church has raised over fifty thousand dollars since it began in May of 2014.

Carol Gear is the organizer for the Online Auction.

Gear says that she had combined the auction for the month of November and December and that just recently closed, and that auction had raised $1435.00.

She is very thankful for the all the donations that is provided by many individuals, the women’s sewing circle in Makkovik, businesses and many other groups.

We will be speaking with organizer Carol Gear later in the AtjiKangitut Program to find out more.

The Nain Recreation Department will be holding some Christmas events this year.

Starting with the Seniors Christmas dinner and radio cash bingo for senior’s ages 55 and up.

This will be held tomorrow, Wednesday, December 9th starting at 2pm on 90.1 FM.

Seniors 55-64 can pick up at the Jeremias Sillitt Community Centre today from 2-5pm and 6-10pm and call deliveries are available for 65 and up.

If you would like a card please call 922-2691.

On Sunday, December 13, there will be a Santa Claus Parade starting at the airstrip and ending at the Jeremias Sillitt Community Centre.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, Santa will give treats outside the JS at the end of the parade and will not be able to hold children for pictures.

Santa will be giving treats out to children ages 12 years and under.

The Annual Youth Christmas Supper will be held next Wednesday, December 16th.

This will be for children and youth up to 18 years from 5-6:30pm, and if there is any meals left for 19 and up, it will be from 6:30pm until all meals are gone.

Meals will be given out the Jeremias Sillitt Community Centre front window.

Last but not least, due to COVID-19, the Ugly Sweater will be held virtually.

You can submit your photos by email to recreationnain.nf.aibn.com.

The deadline is December 22, 2020.

The 1st prize for the Ugliest Christmas Sweater will be $300, 2nd prize $200 and 3rd prize $100.

For more information on any of these activities, you can contact the Recreation Department at 922-2690 or 2691.

The Adults Division played in the 3rd Annual Gussie Bennett Ball Hockey Tournament this past weekend.

William Flowers was the organizer for the tournament.

Before the tournament started, they had a moment of silence to honour Gussie.

There were 3 teams this year; Team COVID-19, Team Warriors, and Team Gracie.

Game one was the Warriors vs. Team COVID-19 and Team Warriors won the game with a score of 8-6.

Game two was Team Gracie vs. Team COVID-19, they went to overtime and Team COVID-19 won with a score of 10-9.

Game three was the Warriors vs. Team Gracie with the Warriors winning the game with 11 to 9.

The Warriors are the 3rd Annual Gussie Bennett Memorial Ball Hockey Champions in the Adults Division.

The awards and trophy presentation will be decided on a later date when Gussie Bennett’s parents will be in town.

The Tournament for the children’s division ages 12 years and under will be this weekend, December 11th and 12th.

Flowers would like to thank the Recreation Department staff for the access of the Jeremias Sillitt Community Centre, the three volunteers and all the players that took part in the tournament.

Today (Tuesday, December 8), Newfoundland and Labrador has one new confirmed case of COVID-19.

The one new confirmed case is a male in the Eastern Health region between 50-59 years of age.

The case is travel-related. The individual, a resident of Newfoundland and Labrador, returned to the province from work in the Northwest Territories.

The individual is self-isolating and contact tracing by Public Health officials is complete.

Newfoundland and Labrador has 28 active cases of COVID-19.

There has been one recovery in the Western Health region since yesterday’s public advisory. This means 320 people have recovered from the virus.

No one is in hospital due to the virus.

To date, 64,967 people have been tested.

Discussions are ongoing when it comes to the priority placed on providing the vaccine to rotational workers says the Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Janice Fitzgerald.

Nearly all of the COVID-19 virus in this province are either directly travel-related or can be traced back to travel.

Thousands of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians regularly travel back and forth outside the province for work.

Fitzgerald says the initial priority will be given to those most at risk of severe disease to the most vulnerable sector of the population.

She says as they progress through the vaccine roll-out prioritizing rotational workers may be something they consider.

Courtesy VOCM news.

Newfoundland and Labrador, one of 14 vaccine distribution sites across the country, will get 1,950 doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine next week.

They will be distributed from the Health Sciences Centre in St. John’s, and more doses will come after that.

The 14 vaccine distribution sites across the country were named by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau just an hour before the provincial COVID-19 briefing began.

Trudeau said up to 249,000 doses of the two-dose vaccine will launch a mass inoculation campaign, which is expected to take many months to complete.

Trudeau said these doses will be delivered by the company directly to 14 distribution centres now equipped with the necessary cold storage. This particular vaccine must be stored at –80 C, which will make the logistics of distribution “incredibly complex,” Trudeau said.

Furey explained yesterday that the province is taking part in a logistical dry run of distributing the vaccine.

Two thermal shipping containers, containing dry ice and not the vaccine, will arrive in Newfoundland and Labrador later this week.

The dry run, or so-called practice run, being run by the Public Health Agency of Canada, is aimed at ensuring that the vaccine can be delivered and then stored appropriately so doses are not wasted.

Story Courtesy of CBC Newfoundland and Labrador.