b'COVID-19PandemicPrecautionsBY ASHLEY ALBERTHow First Nations communities are takingCOVID-19 measures into their own handsF irst Nations across Ontario wereto stop COVID-19 from entering andAs of September 11, Indigenous watching closely as COVID-19spreading in their communities. Service Canada reported that six provinces began spreading across CanadaThere are 133 First Nations inhave identified First Nations community earlier this year. Leadership inOntario, and as of September 2, onlycases. There is a total of 500 confirmed First Nations communities were on high16 communities have reported casescases with 431 recoveries and nine deaths. alert, considering many First Nationsof COVID-19. While most commun- The low number of COVID-19 cases citizens fit into the high-risk categories forities have reported under five cases,in First Nation communities can be attrib-COVID-19 complications.Six Nations of the Grand River hasuted to the quick actions of leadership Indigenous populations have a highreported 16 cases and Bkejwanong Firstto prevent the spread of COVID-19 into proportion of citizens with underlyingNation (Walpole Island) has reportedtheir community. medical conditions, including heart15 cases. There have been two COVID- Having zero cases in their community disease, high blood pressure, diabetes19-related deathsone for both Sixis something Fort William First Nation and cancer. This, combined withNations and Bkejwanongand at theis proud of. We have done everything the ongoing crises in First Nationstime of writing there are no active cases.to protect our community and that is communities such as overcrowding inThe COVID-19 case resolved ratesomething a lot of communities can be homes and lack of clean water, meantis approximately 95 per cent in Firstproud ofthe work we did do to keep that leadership needed to act quicklyNations communities.our community safe, says Chief Peter The first meeting of the Six Nations Emergency Control Group, Feburary 2020.I ssue1 2020C hIefs ofo ntarIoA dvocAte magazIne l 23'