A coalition of First Nations, including the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council member nations, is getting access to detailed COVID-19 case counts in nearby communities after months of negotiating with the province.
The Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council, which represents 14 nations along 300 kilometres of Vancouver Island’s west coast, has been pushing the province to provide information on cases in communities where members go for groceries, doctor’s appointments and other essentials since B.C. moved into Phase 3 of its reopening plan in June.
A new agreement between provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council member nations, the Heiltsuk Nation near Bella Bella and the Tsilhqot’in National Government near Williams Lake will give the nations case counts in nearby communities
For the Nuu-chah-nulth, that will mean learning the number of cases in places like Tofino, Ucluelet, Port Alberni, Nanaimo, Campbell River, Zeballos and Bamfield. Judith Sayers, president of the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council, said the information-sharing agreement will allow nations to better advise their members of the level of risk when they need to leave reserve lands.
“If we had a huge outbreak somewhere, you know, we could even lock down our communities and tell people look, there’s, you know, 100 cases in Tofino or something, and don’t go there,” she said.
Under the agreement, the nations receiving information cannot share the number of cases with their members unless it’s above a certain threshold, from five to 10 cases reported in the most recent 28-day period, depending on the size of the community.
Sayers said the group was pushing for full access to the information, so they could freely share the numbers with members, and the precautions are a burden on its emergency operating team. “It would be so much better if we had full ability to use the information.”
Sayers said the situation highlights the need for changes to the health-care system so First Nations can run their own health systems, instead of being subject to provincial laws.
“There really have to be changes in the system so we’re not denied information that’s critical to us operating as government,” she said.
B.C.’s information and privacy commissioner ruled in December that the Health Ministry did not have to disclose specific COVID-19 case numbers due to concerns the details could compromise patient confidentiality, especially in small communities.
Indigenous leaders argued that they could not govern effectively or make decisions about curfews and stay-at-home orders without knowing COVID-19 infection rates. Marilyn Slett, chief councillor of the Heiltsuk Nation, said the agreement was “hard fought” and means community members will be better able to assess risks.
Henry said in a statement that she understands B.C.’s Indigenous populations have been “seriously and negatively impacted by historical pandemics.” “My office is sharing information in the spirit of reconciliation, to realize self-governance and self-determination, and to ensure an effective public health response to COVID-19.”
— With files from The Canadian Press
