The Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke has released a video on their YouTube channel and on Kahnawà:ke 911. The video describes methods on how you can help limit the spread of Covid-19. Although the steps seem basic, they are specific in terms of physical distancing, how to properly wash your hands and what you should avoid contacting. The video is good for young and old and features Doctor Approved steps that you can do to help stop the spread of COVID-19. The fourth and final step is the most important: stay home!

To access the video: https://youtu.be/mtXQbu0o-RM

Testing for the Covid-19 virus adjacent to the Kateri Memorial Hospital Center (KMHC): Open 7 days a week 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. Appointment required. 450-638-3930 Ext. 2296 or Ext. 2275.

If you require for food assistance call Kahnawake Shakotiia’takehnhas Community Services (KSCS) 450-632-6880. Ask for the food coordinator. You will either receive two hot meals per day or a basket delivered by Kahnawake Medical Transportation (Please do not call Medical transportation)

KSCS continues to offer counselling services for any mental health issues that Kahnawakero’non may be experiencing. Counselors are available 24/7. After hours contact the PKs and ask for the after hours response worker.

For updates on the latest news:

Stay tuned to K1037. Follow us on the web: https://k1037.com/  or on Facebook/k1037

Task Force Facebook page: Kahnawake911

KMHC link http://covid-19.kmhc.ca/daily-bulletin/

If you have medical questions as it relates to the spread of Covid-19 send them to: Questions@mck.ca

For Financial Assistance:

Individuals who have been laid off due to the crisis. Call Client Based Services: 450-638-0500.

If you are a business that has had to close its doors, call Tewatohnhi’saktha at 450-638-4280.

Kahnawake Peacekeepers 450-632-6505.

Kahnawake Fire Brigade 450-632-2010.

If you want to volunteer your time please call the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake: 450-632-7500.

Key Personnel on Kahnawake’s Covid-19 Task Force:

Lloyd Phillips, Public Safety Commissioner

Lisa Westaway, Executive Director at the KMHC

David Scott, Chief Kahnawake Fire Brigade

Dwayne Zacharie, Chief Kahnawake Peacekeepers

Dr. Annick Gauthier – family Doctor at the KMHC and St Mary’s. Virologist.

Dr Jones, KMHC

It was a smooth day for the first day at the new Covid-19 testing site in Kahnawake according to Lisa Westaway, the Executive Director at the Kateri Memorial Hospital Center (KMHC).

A Walk-through testing option has been added for the site which is adjacent to the KMHC. Westaway says extra safety measures will be in place for those who are walking through. They to will require an appointment. 450-638-3930 Ext. 2296 or Ext. 2275. The phone lines and the site are open from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm seven days a week. Westaway said there were 17 appointments on Sunday between 2 pm and 4:30 pm. She also said additional measures will be taken to protect the identities of those getting tested. She asked the community to respect the privacy of those who are entering and exiting the site.  

The latest numbers for the province have gone up as 340 new cases were announced on Sunday, bringing the total to 2840. Public Safety Commissioner Lloyd Phillips said that is a somewhat encouraging sign as it is below the original projections. “one glimmer of hope is that this shows that some of the strong measures taken across the province and taken in Kahnawake are starting to have an impact,” Phillips said. He said however, now is not the time to “let our foot off the gas,” and that we need to be prepared for this to last “weeks”.

Phillips said they have been receiving inquiries from those in the community who want to volunteer to help. The number to call is at the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake Offices 450-632-7500.

The Covid-19 testing site for Kahnawake will be up and running adjacent to the Kateri Memorial Hospital Center (KMHC) as of 2 pm Sunday. It will be well guarded with two security checkpoints to make sure that you have called and received an appointment. There are several road closures around the hospital that will facilitate the testing process which can only be done in your car.

Lisa Westaway, the Executive Director of the KMHC says the tents are being set up adjacent to the hospital.

“This happening is an amazing collaboration of a really big group of people. This is a bunch of community members who have banded together to really make this happen,” she said.

You can call the KMHC if you are experiencing the symptoms of coronavirus at 450-638-3930 Ext. 2296 or Ext. 2275. You will be assessed over the phone and only if you have symptoms will you then be given an appointment. The vehicle will be limited to the one person who was given an appointment. They must drive themselves to the site. You can not show up without an appointment. Officials are working on how to test those who do not drive or are not mobile.

Westaway says that if you have symptoms you should be isolating yourself from your family immediately.

Meanwhile, Public Security Commissioner Lloyd Phillips said the Quebec Governmentis closing down regions in the far north to essential travel only. Those areas include: James Bay, Abitibi-Temiscamingue and near the New Brunswick border.

The coronavirus drive through testing site adjacent to the Kateri Memorial Hospital Center (KMHC) continues to be set up. According to Executive Director Lisa Westaway, the first appointment will take place at 2 PM on Sunday, March 29.

Call the KMHC if you are experiencing the symptoms of Covid-19 at 450-638-3930 Ext. 2296 or Ext. 2275. The phone lines are open 7 days a week from 8:30 am until 4:30 pm. You will be triaged over the phone and they will then book you for an appointment. You must have an appointment in order to go to the testing site. You are only able to go by car, limit one person per vehicle.  

COVID-19 – Free toll

As of March 25, the toll on Highway 30 is free.

You can use any open lanes, without stopping. We invite you to remain careful and respect the speed limit in the lanes of 20km/h.

For customer service, only the Call Center remains available Monday to Thursday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

#flattenthecurve

Kahnawake Peacekeeper Chief Dwayne Zacharie says the PKs are: “Really pleased with the vast majority of the people in the community taking the time to do the social distancing. Taking the time to make sure that they’re safe and secure. Taking the time to make sure the businesses are closed. But it’s only supposed to be essential services and essential businesses at this point. But I wanted to point out certain individuals, and you know who you are, you are not respecting the essential services only or essential businesses. And we’re receiving lots of complaints about it and because of that we’re going to be taking additional measures in terms of enforcement. We were trying to work really closely with people and hoping they would comply. We wanted to practice community policing, but that seems like it’s not really realistic at this point. Additional enforcement will be taken,” Zacharie said.    

Lisa Westaway, the Executive Director of the Kateri Memorial Hospital (KMHC) says the drive-through testing site in Kahnawake will open Sunday at 8:30 am. It will then be open 7-days a week 8:30 am – 4:30 pm.

As of 8:30 Saturday morning, you can call the KMHC if you are experiencing the symptoms at 450-638-3930 Ext. 2296 or Ext. 2275. You will be triaged over the phone and they will then book you for an appointment. You must have an appointment in order to go to the testing.  

They will only accept cars, no walk-ups at the testing site which will be under heated tents adjacent to the KMHC. The KMHC also says you must be alone in the car if you are the only one in the household who is experiencing symptoms.

Westaway says that if you call on Saturday and it is determined that you require a test for Covid-19, you will be sent to the testing site in the parking lot at the Anna Laberge Hospital in Chateauguay for Saturday only. 75 spots have been reserved for Kahnawakeron:on on Saturday.

Commissioner of Public Safety Lloyd Phillips. “We have to be flexible as a community and resilient as a community. As a Task Force we have to be resilient, and we have to take on the challenges,” Phillips said.

A Covid-19 testing site will be opening in Kahnawake this weekend. The site will function by appointment only, the details of how to make those appointments will be released on Friday, on a drive-through basis and be located on the side of the  Kateri Memorial Hospital Center (KMHC) near the handicap entrance. It will be equipped with heated tents as nurses and administrators conduct their work. Lisa Westaway, the Executive Director at the KMHC, says there are no positive cases at the in-patient portion of the KMHC.  “We are containing it. It’s what social isolation is all about, it’s about minimizing the community spread of this virus,” she said.   

As part of diagnosing, public health has discovered two new symptoms of the Virus, a loss of taste and loss of smell.  

Meanwhile, Kahnawake workers, be they front line or the new front line workers at grocery and convenience stores, are being directed to remove their clothes and not enter their homes with what they wore to work and outside. The idea is to get undressed in the entrance, bag their clothes immediately and bring them straight to the washing machine.  

In the daily Task Force briefing Public Safety Commission Lloyd Phillips said they are now being even more vigilant in monitoring the disinfecting being performed by those who are still permitted to work.

Phillips also addressed a call to set up check points at the entrances to Kahnawake:

“We are fighting an invisible enemy,” he said. “Blocking off our borders may have a negative effect by interrupting essential services and deliveries to our community. It would also give out the wrong impression to the people bringing in food and gas and propane to our community and add to the level of fear.”   

The Task Force will also be taking on-line medical questions only at: Questions@mck.ca Dr. Annick Gauthier will appear on Kahnawake 911 and on K1037 to answer those on Friday.

As part of the $9 million Economic Relief Measures (ERM) Fund that was announced by the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK) along with Tewatohnhi’saktha, money has been set aside for individuals and businesses in the community.

If you are an individual who has been affected by a loss of income, you are being asked to call Client Based Services at 450-638-0500.

If you are a business that has had to close its doors, call Tewatohnhi’saktha at 450-638-4280.

“This is to bring easement on the pressure people are facing about money and food,” said MCK Chief Gina Deer. “It’s to ensure that it covers all the basic needs for individuals.”

Paul Rice, the Business and Economic Development Officer at the MCK says it is “rainy day money that has been set aside by the MCK for something like this.”

“For Businesses, it’s about how we can help you keep the lights on and that you are ready to open and keep going when the time comes,” Rice said. “To keep the economy of Kahnawake humming along.”

The fund is also giving $25 000 each to the Kateri Food Basket and to Kahnawake Shakotiia’takehnhas Community Services (KSCS).

KSCS Executive Director Derek Montour says that in the first day 60 people have already signed up for the emergency food service of either two hot meals a day, or a food basket.

Kateri Memorial Hospital Center (KMHC) Executive Director Lisa Westaway again stressed the importance of self-isolation for 14 days upon return from trips outside of Quebec, regardless if they were for business or pleasure.

“New York is the epicenter of this outbreak in the U.S. and we have to be especially careful for people who have been there and are going back and forth,” Westaway said.

In response to the COVID-19 emergency measures within the community, the Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke (MCK) has approved an Economic Relief Measures (ERM) Fund. The ERM Fund was approved at a special Council meeting and was passed unanimously by all 12 Council chiefs.

Chief Gina Deer, KMD Lead Port Chief on the Client-Based Services Portfolio and the Economic Development Portfolio, on the stimulus package:

If you are affected and require assistance, call the advisors at client-based services: 450-638-0500 or as a business owner you can call Tewatohnhi’saktha at 450-638-4280. The purpose of the Fund is to support workers and businesses who are most vulnerable to the economic interruption occurring as a result of the COVID-19 related emergency measures in the community.

As well two $25,000 cash injections to the Kateri Food Basket and Kahnawà:ke Shakhotiia’takéhnhas Community Services’ Emergency Food Services have been approved.

Grand Chief Joe Norton stressed that: “The MCK is working closely with Tewatohnhi’saktha in this important initiative. While several people have worked very hard and extremely quickly to have these measures put in place for those who need it.”