Support for First Nations Communities

This page provides key resources and supports available to address the needs of First Nations' persons and communities during this pandemic to prevent and/or delay the spread of COVID-19. 

Doris Grinspun's blog: "Supporting First Nation communities during COVID-19"

Our focus on vulnerable populations continues, since COVID-19 always discriminates, targeting the frail, the weak, the poor and the vulnerable. In particular, we should worry about the threat to underserved communities that are more susceptible to COVID-19 impacts on population health and well-being. This is why, today, we spotlight the valuable work of the Chiefs of Ontario in supporting the needs of First Nations persons and communities during this pandemic to prevent and/or delay the spread of COVID-19.

On behalf of RNAO, we tremendously appreciate the work of Ontario Regional Chief RoseAnne Archibald, Carmen Jones (Director of Health) and their teams for contributing to the article that follows. RNAO joins in partnership with Ontario Chiefs in urging governments and others to immediately heed their call!

Read the full blog post

Comprehensive COVID-19 action plan for First Nations communities 

This COVID-19 action plan template (working document) provides an overview of Chiefs of Ontario’s pandemic plan recommendations for First Nations communities in Ontario, developed in partnership with RNAO. It is not intended to replace current community pandemic plans; rather, First Nations communities have an opportunity to integrate, adopt or use components of the action plan template to augment their locally developed plans based on their identified pandemic planning needs. Communities without a pandemic plan, are invited to consider using the action plan template in its entirety as it fits their local needs. 

The action plan outlines five critical processes to be enacted, which include:

COVID-19 Action Plan
  1. Pre-outbreak testing and surveillance
  2. Physical distancing for community, self-isolation and cohorting of cases
  3. Robust case and contact tracing
  4. Universal masking and personal protective equipment (PPE)
  5. Health-human resource surge capacity 

Please click here to access the COVID action plan template.

Please click here to view user-friendly documents and resources of the action plan. 

For more information please visit: https://www.coo-covid19.com/emergency-management

This is a working document. Please refer to this website regularly as new directives are constantly being updated based on new evidence. 

Additional resources