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Director of MCK (Mohawk Council of Kahnawake) Client Based Services (CBS) Alexis Shackleton says that so far approximately 900 community members have signed up for the Kahnawake Economic Relief Measures Fund (ERMF). Shackleton says their team got the first payments out within three weeks of the beginning of the program. The financial relief is for individuals who have lost employment due to the pandemic. Shakelton says the ERMF is for those who don’t qualify for the Canadian Emergency Relief Benefit (CERB). “It’s an alternative to CERB,” Shackleton explained. “Individuals should only access one fund for support. That includes the CERB, EI (Employment Insurance), or the Kahnawake fund. For those who didn’t have T-4 last year, then they would go on this program.” They can be reached through CBS at 450-638-0500.

Day one of the community health check proved fruitful. 66 homes responded to the calls from the KMHC health professionals according to Lisa Westaway the Executive Director at the Kateri Memorial Hospital Center (KMHC) .

“We brought in seven people to the drive through testing site for appointments today simply from having spoken with you through the health check. So that’s wonderful news,” Westaway said. Nine people called the KMHC us from their cell phones for those who don’t have land line, in order to participate in the health checks.

Task Force Member Arnold Lazare said that New York state is beginning to open up and that means that many of the Ironworkers may head back to work south of the border.

“The directive of people coming in from New York is still in effect, and the last thing we want is someone bringing a positive (Covid-19 test) from NY,” Lazare said. “If you do choose to go back, which and that is certainly your prerogative, the directive would say that you would have to self-isolate, which means staying away from your family for at least two weeks. It doesn’t make much common sense to come back for two days if you’re going to be spend your time in your self isolation room.”

Kateri Memorial Hospital Center staff will begin their calls on Thursday to begin the health check of Kahnawake.

KMHC Executive Director Lisa Westaway says the calls will focus specifically ont COVID-19 symptoms. “The goal is to arrange mobile testing. We will come and test you at your homes. It is so we have the best information in order to decide when to open things up in the community,” Westaway said. The calls will be made by four or five health professionals. They will not answer questions about other health issues. They will instead refer you to you regular doctor or a clinic.

Westaway said that the recent survey found that people in Kahnawake who were tested did not want to self isolate. “Testing is not the predicting factor of when you should self isolate. You should only self isolate when you develop the symptoms. That means separating yourself from your family for 14 days and staying in a room by yourself and having your own bathroom,” she said.

As the Task Force contemplates and makes plans to slowly open things up again, society will look different for a period of several months.

“Our new normal is going to be very different from our pre COVID-19 normal,” Westaway said. “Once we start to reopen we will need to continue to test, and those who have the symptoms will still have to self isolate. We will also have to continue to avoid social gatherings. Our new normal will still be keeping within your family unit. When we start opening businesses slowly we will still have to maintain social distancing.”

Commissioner of Public Safety Lloyd Phillips said nothing has changed in Kahnawake. “All of the Directives remain in place. There have been no changes. We will have an update on that on Friday,” Phillips said.  

Alana Goodleaf-Rice has retired from the MCK. The Executive Director spent 34 years at the organization. In a statement forwarded to the MCK Leadership and to staff this morning, Goodleaf-Rice stated: “I tried my best to ensure that our employees were appreciated and respected. It was not always easy given the many years of financial limitations and extraordinary crisis situation.”

Goodleaf-Rice has been off on personal leave for the last five months, since November 16^th, 2019; and says that she has no immediate plans for her future.

The Mohawk Council of Kahnawake released a statement: “The MCK acknowledges and appreciates the loyalty and dedication Alana has shown to the organization over the years and wishes her all the best in her future endeavors.”

The MCK will be seeking out a new Executive Director to fill the large role Alana has left. In the interim period, the duties will be shared jointly with the Executive Team within the organization. These Officers include: Kevin Kennedy, Executive Operations Officer; Richard Basque, Executive Strategic Officer; and Erica Delisle, Executive Finance and Administration Officer.

Robin Delaronde, the Director of Education at the Kahnawake Education Center said that they stand behind their decision to keep Kahnawake schools closed until the fall.

“I feel really good about our decision,” she said. “I feel confident in our decision not to open up our doors so that students can return to school.” Delaronde said the main reason they are not reopening, “is based on the medical information and what we get from the Task Force and also for the health and well being of our community. When we open our schools we will ensure that it is done to ensure the safety and well being of our employees, students and our families, and not to be rushed to make decisions that would not be in the best interests of our community.”

There are 87 elementary school students who are from Kahnawake who attend schools outside of the community. Delaronde said they will be calling each family to see how they can support you and see what your intentions are.

Even with the Fall opening, Delaronde says they must keep all of their options open. “We want to take this time to plan for our schools and educators for the possibilities that are coming,” she said. They are looking at the possibility of incorporating more on-line learning. Delaronde also said that Sub-committees have been formed in each school to look at what graduation will look like for this year.

Kateri Memorial Hospital Center Executive Director Lisa Westaway announced that three patients have passed away at the KMHC since the pandemic began, but none of them was from COVID-19. “My deepest condolences to those whose loved ones have passed,” she said. The deaths, Westaway said, were a normal part of the progression of disease. “This is a very difficult time because we are not able to grieve in the way that we normally would,” she said.

A team in Kahnawake is working on plans to reopen the economy and will present their findings to the Task Force on Friday. Meanwhile Quebec is pushing forward with plans to quickly open up businesses. That is worrisome for Kahnawake’s Commissioner of Public Safety Lloyd Phillips.

“Quebec, we believe they are moving much too quickly and the science does not back them up,” Phillips said. “Once the economy opens up the numbers will rise. So you got to be careful on how fast you open. So you got to be very calculating on how you open because those numbers will spike.”

Inspections and maintenance work will take place on the Mercier Bridge every night this week starting tonight. The work will be performed between 8pm to 5am. The mobile work will see partial lane closures on the Bridge, as well as the up and down ramps.

These works are considered essential and JCCBI has received authority from the Kahnawà:ke COVID-19 Pandemic Task Force.

“I can confirm with you that Kahnawake schools will not be opening for this school year,” said Commissioner of Public Safety Lloyd Phillips.

Quebec announced that elementary schools will begin re-opening on Monday, May 11^th for the outlying regions. For Montreal, if all goes well, then they will begin to re-open on May 19th. High schools, Cegeps and Universities will keep their doors closed until the fall.

Phillips says that Kahnawake education officials are looking at all options and how to work with the daycares in the community as the surrounding economy slowly gets started again.  

For the past week and a half there has been a group in Kahnawake working on an economic revitalization plan. Phillips says they are working on it and on potential procedures. They will have an update for the Task Force on Friday. Phillips says they will only start the economy and businesses again after input from medical advisors, the Task Force and what is in the best interest of the community.

Kateri Memorial Hospital Center Manager of Outpatient Care Dawn Montour-Lazare says the clinic is open but under strict protocols. Most physicians are consulting by phone and determining if patients need to come in. If you require the clinic you should call the KMHC at 450-638-3930. Many physicians may be calling you at home but possibly from private numbers. Montour-Lazare is asking that you answer the phone even if you don’t see who is calling.

The Blood test lab is open but they are only taking appointments 10 minutes apart, so that they limit the number of people in the clinic to prevent the potential spread of COVID-19.

The calls from health care professionals will begin tomorrow to check up on the health of every resident in Kahnawake. They will talk to each resident about the symptoms of Covid-19 and whether or not testing is needed at the home.

Kateri Memorial Hospital Center Executive Director Lisa Westaway says the testing site in the community will be opening Monday only at 1 PM. Westaway said that because the directives from Quebec have changed, they are no longer able to accept patients for the long-term care beds at the KMHC regardless if they have a negative test for Covid-19. It is due to many transfers from hospitals to long term care facilities that Quebec admits actually contributed to high rate of cases and high rate of deaths in the province. Westaway said this significantly impacts Kahnawake. If you have a family member who is receiving home care services and whose situation may deteriorate quickly, then they can arrange to increase the home care services, or to send the patient to a palliative care facilities outside of Kahnawake. “I know this is not something that anybody wants from our community. We do not want to transfer our loved ones to a hospital outside of Kahnawake. However, that is a possibility should we require it.”

Cleaning staff at the Kateri Memorial Hospital Center (KMHC) are putting in extra hours to keep patients and frontline hospital workers safe amid the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“Everybody’s working very hard, quite often there’s overtime involved,” said the head of disinfection operations, Tom Phillips, in a community update on Saturday. 

Phillips said three additional staff have been added to the cleaning team since the pandemic began. Starting at 6 a.m., the team’s work includes ensuring all high-touch surfaces are frequently sanitized and that elders’ rooms are cleaned everyday. 

“They take a lot of pride in what they do—they know who they’re doing it for,” said Phillips. 

Meanwhile, frontline workers received additional PPE and hand sanitizer earlier in the week, according to an update from the community task force’s Emergency Management Coordinator, Atiesa Foot.

Foot said additional masks, face shields, gloves and hand sanitizer was delivered to frontline workers in police, fire, and ambulance this week.

He said the KSCS and KMHC also received additional hand sanitizer. 

“The order was necessary to maintain the surplus that we presently have to ensure that the frontline workers have the equipment necessary to serve Kahnawake,” said Foot. 

The Kateri Food Basket is servicing 225 households in Kahnawake. “There are 180 elders and those with limited mobility in Kahnawake who we are providing hot meal service to for lunch and dinner,” said Derek Montour, the Executive Director of KSCS.

67 front line essential workers are receiving a hot lunch or dinner during the weekdays. 24 workers are receiving the meal service on weekends.

If you would like to make a donation of food, they are being accepted at Kateri School. Monetary donations can be made through KSCS directly 450-632-6880.

Montour says four community members have taken advantage of the emergency shelter that was set up for those who wanted to or needed to self isolate. “It was four travelers who returned to the community and needed to isolate,” Montour said. “It is also available to essential workers who don’t want to potentially transmit the virus to their families.”

Independent Living Center (ILC) has been under a shelter in place order for the last month and they have no positive cases of Covid-19.

Turtle Bay Elders’ Lodge Manager Michael T. Horne said the 22 residents at the Lodge are doing well. “We have been proactive in our measures to adhere to all the directives and to prevent any outbreaks within the Lodge. We have no cases of Covid in the Lodge,” Horne said.

There haven’t been any visitors to the Lodge since March 14^th. They have been self-isolating in their rooms for the last month, since March 22^nd. “They are very resilient and have been doing very, very well,” Horne said.

Manager of KMHC Homecare Tracy Johnson McComber said her team is providing service for more than 200 clients in the community. “We knew we had to strategize and interact less with our more independent clients,” Johnson said. “But we still see them from afar. Routine visits were switched to phone consultations. There is a way for our people and we are doing anything we can to give them the best care and make sure that they are safe.”

Her team has been re-trained on donning and doffing personal protective equipment and they have been brought up to date on their infection prevention and control practices.

Mohawk Council of Kahnawake Chief Tonya Perron said that the MCK held a duly convened special council meeting today (Tuesday). In it consensus was reached to declare a state of emergency in Kahnawake. The MCK resolution, according to Perron, is the logical final step in the process of implementing the Emergency Preparedness Law.

“We did this because we don’t know how much longer this situation is going to last,” Perron said. “It allows us to make sure our jurisdiction is protected. That our community is protected. And that our people have access to any available funding. It allows much easier access to that funding.”

The state of emergency allows the MCK to repeal laws under the Community Decision Making Process (CDMP) and draw up new ones as related directly to this crisis. The MCK has the authority to do that by a simple majority vote.

Perron says all other laws on the books still fall under the authority of the CDMP.  

“Nothing has changed,” she said. “We are still at the same level of emergency. It’s more or less a formality.”

Commissioner of Public Safety Lloyd Phillips says it helps the Kahnawake Covid-19 Task Force

“That’s just the evolution of the emergency preparedness,” Phillips said.

Kahnawake originally declared a Public Health Emergency more than a month ago, on March 16^th.

Kateri Memorial Hospital Center (KMHC) Executive Director Lisa Westaway says that five more people were tested at the site in Kahnawake today. Because the numbers are low, Westaway said that over the next week they will review whether or not they will keep the testing site open. “We will always will be able to test all in-care patients, or home care patients, our essential service workers who need to come back to work,” Westaway said.

While there has yet to be a case that required hospitalization in Kahnawake, the risk is real according to Phillips.

“Of all the new cases being diagnosed in Quebec, 40 percent of them are between the ages of 20 to 49,” he said. “Chances are you may have a rough time if you get it, but chances are that you will recover. No guarantees though. These people may show very little symptoms, or moderate symptoms, mild symptoms. That’s the age group that if you don’t take it seriously and practicing your social distancing, you may be carrying the virus to a loved one who is more vulnerable. Or worst case your scenario, you may feel fine, but you’re going to visit someone who is over 70 and taking it to them.”

The Task Force will issue a release on Wednesday that is a one stop shop for all the directives that have been implemented over the last six weeks.