Wild fire evacuation in Sask. north leads to spike in COVID-19 cases
On Thursday, the Far North West region recorded another 14 cases of COVID-19, bring the total active cases for the region to 83.
The Buffalo River Dene Nation was recently evacuated due to forest fires in the area with residents heading to Lloydminster and North Battleford.
“That evacuation has resulted in several risks for transmission of COVID-19, and unfortunately, we have reported an increase in the number of cases amongst the residents of Buffalo River,” said Northern Inter-Tribal Health Authority (NITHA) Chief Medical Officer Dr. Nnamdi Ndubuka.
Several communities were forced to evacuate due to the wildfires in the area.
“About 10 cases of the strain are positive for the variants of concern and we are working on confirmation to make a determination on weather they are the Delta variant or what kind of variants,” Ndubuka told CTV News.
Ndubuka also points to the surge in cases due to the increase in testing and the vaccine hesitancy among residents.
Île-à-la-Crosse is reporting zero case of COVID-19, said mayor Dwayne Favel.
“I think everybody's concerned with the health and wellness of our young people. We want our people to be healthy and well.”
Favel says the Île-à-la-Crosse first vaccination rate is 70 per cent for people over 12.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
A newspaper says video of Prince William and Kate should halt royal rumour mill. That's a tall order
Prince William and his wife Catherine have been filmed at a farm shop near their Windsor home, The Sun newspaper reported -- the first footage of Kate since she had abdominal surgery for an unspecified condition two months ago.
'You ask for your money, they disappear': Ontario man loses $17K to AI crypto scam
A Toronto man is spreading the word of a cryptocurrency scam that lures victims using AI-generated news sites after he lost $17,000 in investments.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
High thoughts: The habits of Canadian cannabis users are revealed in a new StatCan report
Statistics Canada has conducted a series of surveys to measure the impacts of legalized cannabis since the Cannabis Act took effect in 2018. The latest one, the 2023 National Cannabis Survey, sheds light on users' preferences and habits last year.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Trump says Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and their religion
Former U.S. president Donald Trump on Monday charged that Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and hate 'their religion,' igniting a firestorm of criticism from the White House and Jewish leaders.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Freddie Mercury's home is on the market for first time since 1980 minus his 'exquisite clutter'
Freddie Mercury's sanctuary in London, where he lived the last decade of his life, is on sale for the first time in nearly half a century -- minus his "exquisite clutter."
'The lost season': Winter comes to a close as Canada's warmest on record
The warmest winter on record could have far-reaching effects on everything from wildfire season to erosion, climatologists say, while offering a preview of what the season could resemble in the not-so-distant future unless steps are taken to cut greenhouse gas emissions.