Kasabonika Lake First Nation is the latest to see rise in COVID-19 as surge spreads across the northwest

A surge of COVID-19 continues across the remote north, with two more First Nations reporting a rise in active cases.

Kasabonika Lake First Nation has seen a steady rise of cases in the last week, with more than 130 active cases within the community of about 850, as of Sunday. Since June 2020, the community has seen a total of 211 cases according to Sioux Lookout First Nation Health Authority (SLFNHA).

On Saturday, Canada's Minister of Emergency Preparedness Bill Blair said in a tweet that the government had approved a request for assistance, and that members of the Canadian Rangers were activated.

By Sunday evening, a spokesperson with the 3rd Canadian Ranger Patrol Group, which covers northern Ontario, was unable to say how many rangers were actively working to support the First Nation, nor how many were from outside the community.

Lac Seul is also seeing an increase in active COVID cases, with the community reporting 47 active cases as of Sunday. The First Nation's chief and council advised residents it would be moving into code red of its local pandemic framework.

As a result, schools and offices will close, with the exception of essential services.

"Previously, we have been through a high number of cases, and Lac Seul First Nation always endured thanks to the cooperation and understanding of the community. We will continue to work together to keep our community strong and healthy," reads a community notice from Lac Seul on Friday.

Meanwhile, Mishkeegogamang, Eabametoong, and Pikangikum First Nations have all begun to see a decline in active COVID-19 cases after seeing a surge earlier in the month, although Mishkeegogamang still has more than 110 active cases, as of Sunday.

Even though health officials across Canada have recently moved away from using only COVID-19 case counts as a reliable indicator of the spread with the Omicron variant, these numbers are critical in small, remote First Nations, even if patients do not need emergency care.

In a recent interview with CBC, Dr. Lloyd Douglas, the lead physician with SLFNHA, said keeping up with surveillance testing would be key in managing the spread of the virus.

During a recent outbreak in Bearskin Lake First Nation, it fell to a group of about 20 people to manage the community after more than half of the community's residents tested positive or went into isolation. Even though no one died or needed serious care, the experience left front-line workers and residents exhausted and burnt out.

As more First Nations see a surge in COVID-19, additional regional safety measures have been rolled out.

Earlier in the month, Sioux Lookout-area chiefs passed a resolution to implement a new "test-to-work framework" for pilots flying into communities, taking into consideration the availability of tests.

Many northern First Nations rely on airlines for supplies and transportation, especially those with limited road access.