GULL BAY FN – Gull Bay First Nation has become a hotbed for COVID-19. The community of 350 people located 180km north of Thunder Bay now has six positive tests for the virus.
A resident of the community was evacuated to the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre on April 11, 2020. On Wednesday, the Thunder Bay District Health Unit reported three cases from First Nations communities.
This followed positive cases reported on Monday from people in the community. The cases, so far totally eleven people are all based on close contact with someone who has COVID-19. Four of the tests are still pending.
The man who has been hospitalized runs the community store in Gull Bay.
The community which is located an hour from the Lac Des Illes Mine has many community members who work at the mine. Concerns on how the COVID-19 virus got into the community are focused on either the mine or Thunder Bay.
Chief Wilfred King has been in contact with Health Canada and Indigenous Services Canada and says that Gull Bay has been approved for a field testing unit for COVID-19 and that discussions with the federal government are continuing.
