I received this tonight. It makes me angry, sad and frustrated. It also supports everything I wrote in my open letter to the Minister. It is time to make this Government accountable. We are not being told the truth about schools and the spread of the virus. Schools are not safe! In this case it is apparent that our Premier and PHO simply do not care about our First Nations population. Like me, you will weep when you read this cry for help!
This is from my husband- a cry for recognition/help!
Dear Vancouver Island Health Authority (VIHA)
There are currently 16 confirmed cases - as of Saturday morning 28/11 - (in the past ten days) of Covid 19 on the Ehatis Reserve which is adjacent to the village of Zeballos.
The population of Ehatis is about 85 people in 20 homes.
That is about 20% of the population and the number is growing.
Why is that not reported as an outbreak on your website reporting outbreaks?
Why is the school - Zeballos Elementary Secondary School - not been officially shut down?
The school was following Bonnie Henry's suggestions but less than 45 attend the school so it was a cohort/group/pod that was considered safe.
The native band is choosing not to send their children to school until the end of next week. The 10 other students from the Village of Zeballos are also not attending.
But there is a huge lack of leadership by VIHA being demonstrated here.
It would make sense for the school to be officially shut until the end of the Xmas holidays by which time the disease will have run its course through the community (possibly everyone will have by then been exposed and got ill).
As a teacher at the school, I find it very confusing -it is difficult to get accurate information.
The lack of transparency, clarity and wisdom is dangerous.
To paraphrase the Chinese saying - 'We are living in interesting times.' I wouldn't wish it on anyone else.