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COVID-19 outbreak declared over on Musqueam reserve in Vancouver

A family living in same house ‘all clear now’ of virus, says band’s chief
ChiefSparrow
Musqueam Indian Band Chief Wayne Sparrow says three people living on the reserve in southwest Vancouver are now clear of the virus. This photograph was taken prior to the pandemic being declared. File photo Dan Toulgoet
Musqueam Indian Band Chief Wayne Sparrow informed his community Wednesday that the three people living on the reserve in southwest Vancouver who earlier contracted COVID-19 are “all clear now” of the virus.

Sparrow shared the news via a video on the band’s website.

“I have some good news to inform our community that we have no cases [on the reserve],” he said. “All the individuals that had COVID in the household are all clear now and recovering at home with assistance of our staff, but are doing quite well.”

Sparrow told Glacier Media Monday the three people infected with the virus were two parents and their adult daughter, all living in the same house on the reserve. People they had contact with were tested for the virus and found to be negative.

Sparrow said the family infected with the virus reached out to extended family before health officials did to ensure transmission wouldn’t occur on the reserve, where about 850 people reside.

The chief thanked the family for their diligence. He reminded community members to be vigilant and respect provincial health recommendations and orders to keep residents safe, particularly elders and those with health conditions.

“We’re nearing the end, we have to stick together as a community, support each other,” said Sparrow, noting the band’s members living on and off reserve are in line to receive vaccinations.

Coreen Paul, the band’s health director, told Glacier Media Monday the First Nations Health Authority informed her Dec. 31 the vaccine rollout would likely occur on reserve in four to six weeks from that date.

Until the three COVID-19 cases were reported in recent weeks, the band had managed to prevent any transmission of the disease on the reserve. Checkpoints had been set up on the reserve in March 2020 to help control who could enter the territory.

The chief thanked Paul and other members attached to a task force set up to combat the virus, which had infected 59,072 people in B.C., including 8,958 in Vancouver, according to data released Wednesday by the B.C. Centre for Disease Control.

Active cases in the province are at 4,810, with 360 people in hospital, 76 of whom in intensive care. A total of 1,031 people have died of the virus in B.C. since the province reported its first infection in January 2020.

More than 1.5 million tests for COVID-19 have been administered in B.C.

As of Wednesday, 63,430 people in B.C. have been vaccinated in a province with a population of 5.1 million.

mhowell@glaciermedia.ca

@Howellings