Remote Indigenous communities working with feds on mandatory COVID-19 vaccine exemptions
Global News
The vast majority of "remote" communities are so isolated the only way in and out is by plane, and essential services like medical visits are not accessible by any other means.
The federal government is working on exemptions to its newly released mandatory vaccine policy for people in remote Indigenous communities, many of which are only accessible by airplane.
The new policy calls for travellers over the age of 12 to provide proof they’ve received two doses of a Health Canada-approved vaccine at least 14 days before boarding a plane or train.
There are 182 communities that have been assessed by Transport Canada or the provinces and territories as “remote.”
The vast majority are so isolated the only way in and out is by plane, and essential services like medical visits are not accessible by any other means of transportation.
People in Neskantaga First Nation — about 450 kilometres north of Thunder Bay, Ont. — can only get in or out of the community by airplane in the summer, and occasionally ice roads in the winter.
“We rely on air service for pretty much everything. It’s just like the highways to us,” said Gary Quisess, a councillor on the First Nation.
People fly in and out of the community for food, medical appointments and even to commute to their jobs, he said, and they have no other options.
The community of 400 people, which has been under a boil-water advisory since 1995, recently lifted travel restrictions and now relies heavily on tests to protect against COVID-19.
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