82 First Nations on lockdown as B.C. records first COVID-19 cases in Indigenous communities – Global News

April 8, 2020

British Columbia’s First Nations are hoping for the best and preparing for the worst as many of their communities lock down during the COVID-19 pandemic.

B.C.’s First Nations Health Authority (FNHA) confirms there have been positive cases of COVID-19 diagnosed in some Indigenous communities, though won’t say how many or where for privacy reasons.

“We’ve heard stories from the 1918 flu, the smallpox that simply decimated our nations’ communities, some communities seeing a death rate of 90 per cent,” said Terry Teegee, regional chief of the B.C. Assembly of First Nations.

“That’s I think in many respects in the back of our mind, so many of our First Nations are going to really take this seriously.”

Teegee said that across the province, 137 band offices have closed and 44 First Nations have declared states of emergency.

Read More: https://globalnews.ca/news/6796367/bc-first-nations-lockdown-covid-19-indigenous-communities/