An aerial view of the north coast of Labrador between Nain, N.L., and Natuashish, N.L.Andrew Vaughan/The Canadian Press
Two of Labrador’s Indigenous governments are reporting more cases of COVID-19 in their communities as calls grow for more resources in the region.
Labrador’s Inuit Nunatsiavut government says there are 15 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the fly-in community of Nain as well as three presumptive cases.
Nain is Labrador’s northernmost community and had not reported cases of COVID-19 before the Omicron wave.
The Nunatsiavut government says there are no confirmed cases in the four other Inuit communities along the north coast.
Meanwhile, the Sheshatshiu Innu First Nation said during a local briefing today there are almost 30 active cases in the central Labrador community, with many other people awaiting test results.
Lela Evans, the Independent member of the provincial legislature representing Labrador’s north coast, says she’s worried about the spiking case counts because her region was already grappling with poor access to quality health care before the pandemic began.
Evans says more help is needed to deal with the increased demand for testing and vaccinations, adding that resources are stretched because of the number of health-care workers who are having to isolate.
“Our health-care workers deserve better,” she said in an interview Tuesday.
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