For the first time since last November, there are no longer any active COVID-19 cases in Pelican Narrows, according to the community’s health centre.
A daily report released April 16 by the Angelique Canada Health Centre showed that no residents of Pelican Narrows still had COVID-19, more than five months after the community reported its first case. The last remaining case in the community, according to the centre, was resolved as recovered late last week.
Before April 16, the last time Pelican Narrows had no active COVID-19 cases was Nov. 19, when the community’s first confirmed case of COVID-19 was marked as recovered. The community experienced a first wave through late November and December, slowing down to just one active case remaining Dec. 30 before jumping up again.
An outbreak designation for the entire community of Pelican Narrows was called by the Northern Inter-Tribal Health Authority (NITHA) Nov. 23. That designation remains in effect for the community, despite the drop in cases. A total of 21 people remain in precautionary isolation in the community, each contacts to previous positive cases. No people from Pelican Narrows are hospitalized in Saskatchewan due to COVID-19, as per the centre’s released statistics.
According to the centre, a total of 462 people in Pelican Narrows - an area with a population of around 3,500 people according to Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation (PBCN) Health Services - have tested positive for COVID-19 since November. The centre has reported eight deaths from COVID-19 within the community, making the outbreak one of the worst reported in northeast Saskatchewan. In northern Manitoba, six health districts within the Northern Health Region (NHR) have reported more positive cases than Pelican Narrows, but only one district - The Pas/OCN/Kelsey - reporting more deaths.
As of April 18, 20 cases of COVID-19 remain active in the far north health zone, including eight in the far north east 2 health zone which covers Pelican Narrows, Sandy Bay, Creighton, Denare Beach and other nearby Saskatchewan communities. Cases have been recently reported in Sturgeon Landing, located due south of Creighton and Denare Beach - while the number of active cases in the community is unknown, the community is included as part of the far north east 2 zone.
While no cases remain active in Pelican Narrows as of April 19, residents are still asked to take precautions to avoid COVID-19 spread, including keeping distance when possible, wearing masks and washing and sanitizing hands. All Saskatchewan health orders, as well as health orders put in place by local and PBCN management, remain in effect as of April 19.
