The Cumberland House Cree Nation is hoping to come out of a two-week lockdown on Monday due to high numbers of COVID-19 cases.
Jennifer Stewart-McGillivary, the coordinator of the local command centre, said the community of about 800 people has had as many as 19 COVID-19 cases in recent weeks.
She said non-essential travel is blocked on road access points in and out of the community but this doesn’t always prevent people from the nearby Village of Cumberland House finding other ways to get in.
“It’s really hard to control people coming in and out of the reserve because there’s so many short cut trails,” she said.
Stewart-McGillivary said the community did not have any COVID-19 cases until October but numbers started to rise after the virus was contracted at a funeral service on the reserve.
The Nisto Awasisak Memorial School has been closed since the end of October for safety reasons, she said.
Stewart-McGillivary said although those living on-reserve don’t necessarily like the restrictions, most are complying.
“People are really taking precautionary measures and protecting their families. So, I haven’t really heard any complaints coming to the command centre. I think they really want the numbers to drop.”
At the same time, she said a number of community organizations have come together to provide goods and services to residents who are unable to leave their homes because of the lockdown.
This includes the Nechapanuk Centre Child and Family Services which has been providing care packages for children that include colouring books and arts and crafts materials to keep them occupied during the lockdown.
The Nisto Awasisak School has also been delivering food to families on reserve.