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For the last 39 years, K1037 has been committed to serving the community of Kahnawake and we continue to be an essential service in times of crisis. As this situation with Covid-19 continues to develop and more cases of the virus are confirmed in our community, we are devoted to protecting our staff while they serve the community.

The Morning D with Dennen and Paul, The Noon Hour Talk Show with Lou Ann Stacey, The One O’clock Jump with Suzie Delaronde and Afternoon’s With Abbey (currently hosted by Dennis Stacey) will continue to be live. However, we have made the decision to temporarily discontinue all other live shows until further notice and will run our automated system.

K1037 will continue to broadcast the daily updates of the Covid-19 Task Force without interruption. If there is an emergency update during automation, we want to reassure the community that any messages will be delivered immediately to you. K1037 is committed to bringing you up-to-date information and will continue to serve Kahnawake during this time.

We’ll get through this but you need to follow the advice of the Task Force and the health care professionals in our community because they’re one of the best teams in the country. Please check on your neighbours, elderly family members and remember to also take care of yourself.

Stay safe Kahnawake.

There are now five cases of Covid-19 in Kahnawake and the numbers are expected to grow. Kateri Memorial Hospital Center Executive Director Lisa Westaway says three of the cases are not at the KMHC.

“We haven’t been able to identify the source,” Westaway said. “That is a sign that it is community transmission. So we should all be practicing social distancing, self isolating and staying home as much as possible.”

She says the doors will be reopened at the KMHC tomorrow.

“The hospital is a safe place to be,” she said.

Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK) Chief Harry Rice says the Council will be announcing an aid package tomorrow for the community.

“We will have big news tomorrow that will comfort and add calmness to the community and that will provide income security and basic needs food and water,” Rice said.

He had some advice as well.

“It is hard. Don’t panic. We are all in this together. Check up on Mom and Dad, Bubba and Tota. Get them supplies and leave them at their door,” he said.

Lloyd Phillips says the Covid-19 Task Force is working to keep the community safe.

“We are trying to be ahead of what’s happening,” Phillips said.

He added that seven Peacekeepers are currently in 14-day isolation, but stressed that they have not tested positive.

Someone at the Kateri Memorial Hospital Center (KMHC) has tested positive for the Covid-19 virus. Public Health out of the Monteregie has begun their investigation and tracking. They are in the process of contacting those who may have been in contact with the infected person. “The news is not a surprise to us,” said Lisa Westaway, the Executive Director at KMHC. ” We are going to see more cases within the Kahnawake community very shortly. But we can limit its spread.”

Westaway said new measures are being put in place to ensure the safety of the staff and patients. Outpatient services and the blood lab have both been closed.

All Non-Essential Businesses have been ordered to Close in Kahnawake. The essential businesses that are permitted to remain open are: Grocery and convenience stores, pharmacies and gas stations. Public Security Commissioner Lloyd Phillips says they are working on a plan to financially support those who have been laid off. “The Council (Mohawk Council of Kahnawake, MCK) is working on a financial assistance package. It should be ready soon for those affected by the coronavirus,” Phillips said.

Phillips said Emergency food services are ramping up through KSCS. Something will be made available within the next day or two.

The Kahnawake Peacekeepers are advising the community to be aware of fraudulent calls that appear to be coming from a COVID-19 hotline number 1-833-784-4397. These calls are fraudulent. Do not give out personal information over the phone, if you did not initiate the call yourself.

Kahnawake schools under the Kahnawake Education Center (KEC) will remain closed through May 1, 2020. This follows the announcement by Quebec that the schools will remain closed until that time.

Lloyd Phillips, the Commissioner of Public Safety in Kahnawake, was happy to see the latest moves by the Quebec Government. Premier Francois Legault announced the closure of all Malls, as well as restaurants seating areas. They can only remain open for pick up and delivery.

“Kahnawake has been one step ahead of Quebec,” Phillips said.

Phillips announced there are no further measures for today. However, the Kahnawake Covid-19 Task Force will continue to meet and adjust as need be for the safety of the community. Robin Delaronde is the Director of education at the KEC, she says they will be meeting on Monday to discuss ways to support the students during this prolonged shutdown.

KEC to assist students and parents during the closures.

Lisa Westaway, the Executive Director of the Kateri Memorial Hospital Center, is reminding everyone to use proper cleaning techniques by wiping down door handles, toilet handles, car door handles, and wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water. She also reminded people to stay home unless absolutely necessary and continue to practice social distancing.

The Kahnawà:ke Pandemic COVID-19 Task Force wishes to inform the community that the Government of Canada has issued a self-assessment tool that will help determine whether you may need further assessment or testing for COVID-19.

You can complete this assessment for yourself or on behalf of someone else if they are unable to. Click this link to take you to self-assessment tool:

https://ca.thrive.health/covid19/en

The Kahnawà:ke Pandemic COVID-19 Task Force strongly urges anyone who has symptoms – including a fever, cough, sneezing, sore throat, or difficulty breathing – call 811.

To protect yourself while out in public, wash your hands frequently and maintain a distance of about 2 metres from others.

To limit the potential spread of the coronavirus in Kahnawake, the Covid-19 Task Force has ordered all factories and cigarette stores in the community to close effective immediately. The Longhouses and Churches in the community are also closed until further notice.

As well they have closed the two Pharmacies in Kahnawake to indoor traffic. However, they will continue to operate and fill prescriptions as usual.

Commissioner of Public Safety Lloyd Phillips also urging Kahnawakero:non to remain in the community as much as possible. “It is to slow the progression,” Phillips said. “We don’t want someone going out and bringing the virus back to the community.”

Phillips said that does not include essential travel such as getting groceries and medical appointments outside of Kahnawake.

“People are strongly discouraged to go outside the community for non essential purposes,” Phillips said.

The Kahnawake Peacekeepers have additional powers as a result of an emergency being declared in Kahnawake in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Peacekeeper Chief Dwaine Zacharie says they have the authority to issue fines if people gather together in groups or in places of business. Fines will range between $1000 to $6000. A prison sentence could be a last resort. Zacharie stressed that fines and jail time would be a last resort. He says his force’s officers will be talking first with any groups that gather.

Recreational areas in Kahnawake are being closed immediately including the outdoor rink, the skate park and the basketball court.

“The youth have been gathering in those areas, which in any other situation is a great thing, but there is a potential of spreading the virus,” said Lloyd Phillips, the Commissioner of Public Safety.

The Kahnawake Covid-19 Task Force have now set up a finance committee to look at the impacts on the financial situation in the community. It will look at how business is conducted now and how it will be conducted in the future.

Phillips says overall their job has been made easier with a great deal of cooperation from the community.

“Very good situation in terms of people working together. A very strong sense of community,” Phillips said.

A Physician who worked at the Kateri Memorial Hospital Center (KMHC) in Kahnawake has tested positive for the coronavirus. It is the first positive test of Covid-19 in the community since the start of the pandemic. KMHC Executive Director Lisa Westaway says the woman visited New York with her husband from March 7th to 9th. She worked at KMHC on March 11th. Her husband began showing symptoms on the 15th, and she cancelled her clinic and developed symptoms on the 17th. According to public health officials, those who test positive are only contageous for 24 to 48 hours before they display the symptoms. But she last worked at the KMHC a full six days before showing symptoms. “There is absolutely no need for contact tracing by public health or the KMHC,” said Westaway. “There is no risk to our population, nor to our patients, not to our nurses or other physicians and residents. Everybody is okay.”

Kahnawake’s Covid-19 Task Force is requiring all businesses in the community to identify their essential services. K1037 Radio announced it will abide by a directive from the Task Force and close its doors to the public at the end of the day today (Wednesday). However, as an essential service in the community we will remain on air with live news and other shows.  James Java Jacobs is K1037’s Program Director. “We received a directive from the Covid-19 Task Force that all non essential workers are to work from home so that’s what we’re going to implement. Today is going to be the last day for people to work in the office. However, because we are an essential service as the radio station, the on-air personnel will continue to come into the office because if there is something that happens in the community we need the community to know what is happening. All on-air staff will remain but all non essential office staff are to work at home from the end of today,” Jacobs said.

Radio Bingo is still scheduled for this Friday night, March 20th at 7:30 PM.

“I spoke with Lloyd Phillips (Commissioner of Public Safety) and asked his opinion on it and he said: ‘Look there’s a lot of stuff that people can’t do, give them something to do. The distributors are still open so if they get them from there then do it for this week.’ He’s going to assess again next week if maybe we should shut the bingo operation down. But he said this week is a go,” Jacobs said.