Kahnawake raises its status to orange “higher risk”

The Kahnawake COVID-19 Task Force raised the pandemic status to orange, which represents “higher risk level of community spread and higher risk of transmission of the virus”, effective since September 28.     The third level of alert on the territory comes with measures implemented: -Private gatherings are limited to 6 people; -Public gatherings are limited to 25 people; -People are strongly encouraged to stay within their households; -No unnecessary travel into red zones highly recommended; -Residents advised to stay local as much as possible; -Schools will prepare to move online, should that be required; However, businesses will remain status quo until further notice “because they operate in controlled environments and are routinely inspected”, says the Task Force adding that these measures are preliminary, and that the situation is evolving daily and may change quickly. New cases Kahnawake has around 20 COVID-19 cases since the beginning of the pandemic and was stable since the end of June. On September 28, the Kateri Memorial Hospital Center (KMHC) Local Public Health Team issued a statement asking community members who attended a funeral at Poissant Funeral home 10 days prior, between 3:30 PM and 5:30 PM to self-isolate until October 2. If symptoms are developed, individuals should contact the KMHC testing site to arrange testing at 450 638-3930, ext. 2275 or 2296. The Task Force also shared a press release on the same day, to advise the community that they are aware of a positive case on the territory. “Our Kahnawake Public Health Team has been in contact with the family and has provided medical guidance to the contacts of the positive case”, it reads. Alert levels Kahnawake has its own pandemic alert levels, but the colour codes are similar to the ones from the Quebec government, which are green (minimal), yellow (elevated), orange (higher), and red (significant). [caption id="attachment_91275" align="alignnone" width="960"] Photo: Facebook - COVID-19 Task Force[/caption]