Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan health officials working with Hatchet Lake to handle COVID outbreak

The medical health officer for the area says Delta variants have been confirmed there, and there are concerns about vaccination levels and COVID protocols in the region.

Medical health officer says Delta variants have been confirmed in area

Vaccination rates are a concern in Hatchet Lake, says the medical health officer for the area. (Andrew Vaughan/The Canadian Press)

Leaders in Hatchet Lake are working with Saskatchewan health officials to handle the community's recent COVID outbreak.

Hatchet Lake is located about 850 kilometres north of Saskatoon, near Wollaston lake. The outbreak was detected on June 28. As of Monday, about 96 confirmed cases have been linked to the outbreak.

Dr. Nnamdi Ndubuka, Northern Inter-Tribal Health Authority medical health officer, said low vaccine uptake in the community and dismissal of certain COVID protocols are sources of concern. He said that once the community complies with these protocols, it will help bring the current situation under control.

"One of the concerns is private social gatherings in the community and community members not complying with public health measures," he said. "So communication is also going out through different channels from the chief and council."

Ndubuka also noted that Delta variants have been found among the reported cases.

"The low vaccine uptake is a concern for us in the context of the variant of concern," he said. "Part of the strategy right now is to use every means to provide a door-to-door vaccination approach to encourage residents to get vaccinated."

Hatchet Lake First Nation is in northeastern Saskatchewan, about 700 kilometres northeast of Prince Albert. (Google Maps)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Adeoluwa Atayero is a communications officer for CBC News based in Saskatchewan. Before moving to Canada, Atayero worked as a reporter, content manager and communications consultant in Lagos, Nigeria. He holds a masters in journalism from the University of Regina. @theadeatayero