Tansi! In less than five days since my last Bulletin the number of cases in Manitoba has more than tripled from 39 to 127. We have a case in northern Manitoba (in the Flin Flon area). A Manitoban has died. The number of deaths in Canada is increasing and we are likely to see more deaths in Manitoba as the cases are no longer only connected to travel out of the province.

We now have community spread. Health care workers at three Manitoba hospitals – the Grace and St. Boniface Hospitals in Winnipeg and the Selkirk Regional Hospital, got the virus. Increased monitoring of all health care workers is now in effect.

The only thing we can do to slow the spread of this virus and protect our health care workers, is to STAY HOME. We are not sure how long the lockdown will need to last. The best information currently available indicates we may need to continue these measures for another three months.

But STAYING HOME is the only tool we have at the moment. Scientists are working day and night on a vaccine. I urge you to remember, STAYING HOME is not a negative. It keeps us safe and it provides all of us with a chance to focus on what’s important – our families and staying healthy.

Spend your time reconnecting with the people you live with. Teach your children and grandchildren our customary laws – respect, patience, compassion. Teach them the Creator gave us a sacred responsibility to look after each other. Tell them that when times are tough we must all pull together. We are a community and we must protect each other.

We will be providing an update later this week about the plans for the rest of our school year.

In the meantime, I urge you to STAY HOME. I know this lockdown is hard, but we need to do it and I want to thank everyone who is trying to do their part.

As you know, some people are not listening. I urge you to speak to your family members and convince them this is critical before people in our community start dying because they refused to STAY HOME.

Ekosani!

COVID-19 related phone numbers are (204) 679-0179 and (204) 679-0279