This notice is available as a PDF here.
Our Community closure will continue until further notice. Those NOT Permitted Entry include:
- – Cottagers – rental or seasonal cottagers;
- – HFN Tent and Trailer Park Tenants;
- – Visitors – non- Citizens, non- residents coming in to visit family or drive through;
- – Fishermen/women – non-Citizens, non-residents coming in to fish or use boat launch;
- – Landscapers – outside people coming in to work on people’s yards/lawns, etc.;
- – Construction other than emergency repairs and new construction that has been approved by the HFN Administrator.
HFN Businesses:
- – Hiawatha Old Rail Road Stop Store and Restaurant remains closed. Our Gas Bar remains open from 3:00 – 7:00 pm for gasoline, propane and cigarette sales only, and only to HFN Citizens and Otonabee South-Monaghan (OSM) Residents within the Hiawatha Boundaries.
- – Private businesses remain closed.
First Nations Data (basis for continued closure):
First Nation data comes from the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES) and their Partnership with the Chiefs of Ontario through the Data Governance Agreement.
As of May 4, 2020 there are 75 COVID-19 positive test results. The cases of COVID-19 are increasing in First Nations faster than across Ontario (91% last week & 23% this week, compared to 46% & 20% for same time period across Ontario.
The data suggests that:
- – Lower rate of COVID-19 positive test results(relative to Ontario) suggests that efforts to reduce spread in First Nations are working so far;
- – Continuing increase in testing rateand expansion of testing criteria suggest that advocacy for more testing might be working;
- – Increase in positive test resultssuggests that it might be too early for First Nations to open up, even if rest of Ontario is ready.
Under our current structures we have in place, if we assume that each infected person transmits the virus to ONE other person – this could mean:
- Possible fatalities: 4,277
- Peak hospitalizations: 2,344
If we start opening up, and if we assume thateach infected person transmits the virus to TWO other people – this could mean:
- Possible fatalities: 8,974
- Peak hospitalizations: 7,673
The data for First Nations tells us that it is not the time to ease our efforts to stop COVID-19 from spreading in our communities, the data shows:
- – Efforts to date appear to be working: Closing borders, limiting access to Communities and other measures seem to have kept number of cases in FN Communities low.
- – Keep in mind, cases are still increasing so First Nations do not yet appear to be ready to open up.
- – Keep encouraging social distancing, washing hands, and self-isolating once experiencing symptoms.
To date, Hiawatha does not have any positive cases of COVID-19 and we wish this to remain.
We have initiated a team to work on a staged opening of our Community, however we will not be considering any types of openings until at least June 1st, 2020.
We thank you for your patience during this time and for following all the emergency measures and health recommendations put forward by both governments and their health officials. What each of us are doing together is working and keeping us all safe.
Miigwetch,
HFN Council