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First Nations communities in Ontario’s Far North facing the COVID-19 pandemic need additional support and action from the Ford government to contain the virus, said Kiiwetinoong MPP Sol Mamakwa, as more communities continue to report positive cases.
“Indigenous communities in Ontario struggling to contain the pandemic need the urgent support of the Ford government now,” said Mamakwa, the NDP’s Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation critic. The Far North communities of Mishkeegogamang, Eabametoong and Wabaseemoong have all reported positive COVID-19 tests. Mamakwa said the communities are doing everything they can to prevent the virus from spreading, but they cannot and should not be doing this alone. “The Ford government must provide these communities with the resources they need to stop COVID-19 and any further spread throughout the North,” said Mamakwa. “We commend the efforts of Nishnawbe Aski Nation for the pandemic teams they are coordinating, but the province should always have health teams in place.”
Mamakwa said that generations of inequity in Ontario have left Indigenous communities with over-crowded housing, no access to clean drinking water, and a lack of public health infrastructure. “There is no more time to waste. Lives are at risk, and the Ford government must take action now to ensure that there are doctors and nurses in the communities, medical stations, and structures needed for isolation,” said Mamakwa. “Every moment that passes without government support or action means the contagion will continue to spread throughout Indigenous communities.
“Doug Ford must take action now to support communities struggling for the lives of their people during this pandemic.”
