Saddle Lake to start “circuit breaker” shutdown Wednesday

Shutdown comes in hopes to contain spread.

Saddle Lake Cree Nation is instituting a two-week ‘circuit breaker’ shut down to combat COVID-19 on the Nation.

In a release published to their Facebook page Nov. 17, the Emergency Management team announced only essential services will be available from Nov. 18 to Dec. 2.

According to the release, “the purpose is to minimize public exposure and to limit services for high needs only. All efforts as a community will create a positive impact in the next two weeks with the help of each and every one of us.”

The Nation is conducting the shutdown with the guidance and support of Alberta Health Services and First Nations and Inuit Health Branch.

Director of Emergency Management Derrick Houle said more information about the delivery of essential services during the shut down will be released through the SLCN News, Events and Information Facebook page. The band has been sharing regular updates of active and recovered case counts, test numbers, and public health guidelines to the page.

“We’re going to keep on putting it out through the messaging that we’ve had so that we can get it to our nation members and explain as much as we can the severity of the situation. We are in control of our destiny and we have to work together,” said Houle.

He said the Nation is committed to ensuring the entire community takes every necessary precaution to stop the spread of COVID-19.

Houle noted that while the primary focus of masks, sanitization, and staying home is necessary to bring the numbers down, SLCN wants “to make sure that people get that messaging and follow through with it.”

“Because it’s not just our community. If we look at Calgary and Edmonton, and the systems that they’re putting in place, we’re trying to get this to be in alignment with the intention of the provincial government and the surrounding communities so that we’re not missing the opportunity to make a difference,” said Houle.

COVID update Tuesday

In the St. Paul-Saddle Lake local geographic area on Tuesday, there are 80 active cases and 99 recoveries total on the AHS COVID data map. There is no daily update yet reported by Saddle Lake Cree Nation News, Events, and Information page.

There is an increase of six cases in the Bonnyville area for 30 active infections and 35 recoveries total.

One new infection reported in the Cold Lake area to leave 21 active cases.

Lac La Biche’s active cases fell one to 13 active cases and 6 recovered.

Smoky Lake has eight active cases and 17 recovered.

Within the County of Vermilion River, there are 7 active cases, five active in Frog Lake area and three in the Two Hills County area.

In Alberta, 773 new positive tests came back on Tuesday.