Current Situation in Siksika - Siksika Health Services

Current Measures in Siksika Nation

Effective March 4, 2022, Siksika Nation moved to a COVID-19 GREEN – LOW RISK level on the Siksika Nation COVID Risk Scale. Under the current GREEN – LOW RISK level status, the following guidance is recommended.

Note: Siksika Nation members may have differing comfort levels and choose to continue implementing protective measures that are no longer required.

Definitions:

High-risk individuals: individuals with immunocompromised health conditions, infants under the age of 2, and the elderly, as the risk of severe illness for these individuals is greater than the general population.

High-risk settings: healthcare settings (i.e. Siksika Health & Wellness Centre), continuing care settings (i.e. Siksika Elder’s Lodge).

COVID Immunization & Treatments

COVID-19 Vaccine: Siksika Health Services strongly encourages Nation members to receive all COVID-19 vaccine doses they are eligible for as soon as possible. Currently Pfizer, Moderna, and Pediatric Pfizer doses are available on Siksika Nation for eligible individuals:

First and second doses for ages 5+ (must wait 8 weeks from first dose to receive second dose. Five-year-olds must have already surpassed their 5^th birthday to be eligible)
Third doses for ages 12+ (must wait 5 months from their second dose)
For those who become infected with COVID-19, the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) recommends the following intervals between COVID-19 infection and immunization:
- If you’ve already had 0-1 doses: wait 8 weeks after symptoms started to get vaccinated
- If you’ve already had 2 doses: wait 3 months (12 weeks) after symptoms started to receive booster dose (third dose)

COVID-19 immunization is available for Siksika Nation members, and for community members from the surrounding areas on a walk-in basis at the Siksika Health & Wellness Centre on Tuesdays & Thursdays from 10:00am-4:00pm. No appointments are required. In-home COVID-19 immunization appointments can be scheduled via the Immunization Special Forces vehicle by calling Siksika Home Care at 403-734-5695.

Medication (i.e. sotrovimab, paxlovid): Early outpatient treatment for COVID-19 is available for high risk individuals who have contracted COVID-19. This medication treatment can help reduce the severity of COVID-19 infection and the chance of requiring hospitalization.

If Siksika Nation members test positive for COVID-19 and have specific pre-existing health conditions, please contact Siksika Health’s Communicable Disease Control (CDC) team to determine if you are eligible for this treatment. Visit https://www.albertahealthservices.ca/topics/Page17753.aspx information on eligibility criteria

General

General Protective Measures – unchanged from previous:

Stay home when sick until your symptoms go away. Take a COVID-19 home rapid test and/or arrange a PCR test via the COVID-19 Response Unit (CRU) drive-thru
Regularly wash/sanitize your hands
Clean/disinfect commonly touched surfaces oftenhttps://siksikahealth.com/covid/wp-admin/post.php?post=1978&action=edit#

General Protective Measures – no longer required:

The following is no longer required, but is strongly recommended for high-risk individuals (see definition above).

Mandatory mask wearing no longer required in many Siksika Nation buildings.
- High-risk settings (see definition above) to continue mandatory mask requirements.
- Managers may choose to continue the requirement or recommendation for mask wearing, at their discretion.
- Mask wearing remains required for individuals for 5 days following mandatory isolation due to COVID infection in those who are fully vaccinated (see below on “Isolation”).
Recommendation to keep 2 metres distance from people not in your household/cohort removed.

Gatherings

Capacity limits for indoor and outdoor gatherings lifted.
- High-risk individuals (see definintion above) recommended to continue avoiding gatherings and other high-risk exposures at this time, as the risk of severe illness for these individuals is greater than the general population.
Sick individuals with any type of symptom SHOULD NOT attend and/or host gatherings.

Testing

Those with new or worsening symptoms of any kind should continue to stay home, self-isolate and test for COVID-19. Individuals who test positive for COVID-19 with a home rapid test are also encouraged to isolate until symptoms subside.

Home COVID-19 rapid testing can help identify and prevent spread of COVID-19. Rapid test kits are available for Siksika Nation members free-of-charge at locations across Siksika:

Siksika Health & Wellness Centre between 9:00am-4:00pm, Monday-Friday (closed from 12:00-1:00pm for lunch)
M&R (Boy Chief Trading Post)
Petro-Canada
Siksika Trail Market

COVID PCR testing will be available, as required, at the Siksika Health & Wellness Centre between 9:00am-4:00pm, Monday-Friday (closed from 12:00-1:00pm for lunch).

Isolation

It remains a requirement to isolate if you have new and/or worsening illness symptoms, or if you’ve tested positive for COVID-19.
- Mandatory isolation is 5 days, or until symptoms have resolved, for people who have received at least two doses of vaccine, and are symptom-free by that time. Others must isolate 10 days – see additional detail on https://siksikahealth.com/covid/current-situation-in-siksika/
Siksika Health Services also strongly recommends that contacts of positive cases monitor for symptoms for one week following the date of close contact. If symptoms develop, isolate and arrange for COVID-19 testing.

Current Mandatory Isolation Protocols:

People who test positive for COVID-19:
- If fully vaccinated – required to isolate for 5 days or until their symptoms have fully resolved, whichever is longer. Avoid large gatherings, elderly or high-risk individuals, and highly recommended to stay home from work for 10 days.
- If unvaccinated or partially vaccinated – required to isolate for 10 days or until their symptoms have fully resolved, whichever is longer.
Close contacts of people who test positive for COVID-19:
- If fully vaccinated – Highly recommended to isolate at home for 5 days from last contact with the positive case, and to monitor for cold or flu symptoms for 14 days.
- If unvaccinated or partially vaccinated – Strongly recommended to isolate at home for 14 days following exposure to positive case.
People with cold or flu symptoms:
- Required to isolate and are advised to get tested for COVID-19. If test is negative, isolate until symptoms resolve. If no test is done, or test is positive, requirements are the same for those who test positive.

Masks

Mandatory mask wearing no longer required in many Siksika Nation buildings.
- High-risk settings to continue mandatory mask requirements.
- High-risk individuals recommended to continue wearing masks when indoors in places outside of their home, as the risk of severe illness for these individuals is greater than the general population.
- Managers may choose to continue the requirement or recommendation for mask wearing, at their discretion.

Congregate Care Facilities

Siksika Elders Lodge:
Open to visitors, by appointment and with protective screening measures in place
- A rapid test may required prior to entry into the Siksika Elder’s Lodge. This can be completed onsite
Mandatory masking to continue within Siksika Elder’s Lodge, as this is a high-risk setting
Sick individuals with any type of symptom should refrain from visiting the Siksika Elder’s Lodge until their symptoms have resolved completely.

Workplaces

Workplaces/businesses remain open; capacity limits lifted (see above on “Gatherings”)
Additional protective measures at the discretion of Siksika Nation departments & entities

Schools

Schools open for in-person classes; capacity limits lifted (see above on “Gatherings”)
Additional protective measures at the discretion of Siksika Board of Education

Sports & Activities

Sports leagues active; capacity limits lifted (see above on “Gatherings”)
Additional protective measures at the discretion of event/activity organizer

Show kindness and compassion

Many Siksikawa are currently impacted by COVID-19, whether personally ourselves, or friends/family. We may hear, or want to ask questions like “Where were you?” and “Who were you with?”, and while it can be helpful to know this information to help understand and prevent spread of the virus, let’s iikakimaat (try hard) not to judge people based on this.

Omicron and Moving Forward

The Omicron variant of COVID-19 is highly infectious; public health measures like wearing masks, physical distancing, hand washing are effective tools, but even those who are very cautious may become ill. Let’s continue to show compassion to ourselves and others.

Siksika’s COVID-19 Risk Level advisory is based on current local Siksika Nation context, and is subject to change. At this time, factors that are being closely monitored by Siksika Health Services’ teams include:

The balance of the very real and significant social and mental health impacts that the community is experiencing, associated with COVID-19 precautions, against the risks from COVID-19 itself. Participation in-person in gatherings, learning environments such as schools, sports and recreational activities, and other programs/services have positive effects on mental health and social-emotional wellbeing.

Risk of contracting COVID-19 on Siksika Nation – at this time, the risk of contracting COVID-19 remains on Siksika Nation, and everywhere. Due to the highly infectious nature of the Omicron variant of COVID-19, containing spread is extremely unlikely, even with strict COVID-19 precautions. It is expected that the majority of the population will contract the Omicron variant at some point. Thankfully, due to Siksika’s high vaccination rates and a decrease in severity of the Omicron variant, the risk of severe illness is decreased.
- It is recommended that individuals with immunocompromised health conditions, infants under the age of 2, and the elderly continue to avoid gatherings and other high-risk exposures at this time, as the risk of severe illness for these individuals is greater than the general population.
Siksika’s COVID-19 vaccine uptake – this will impact community spread of the virus. As people receive the vaccine, our collective immunity will increase. With the introduction of the Omicron COVID-19 variant, booster doses (third doses) are of critical importance for those who are eligible.
COVID-19 cases across Alberta – as COVID-19 cases and hospitalization rates decrease across Alberta, the risk for contraction when off Nation also decreases.

Since October 2020, Siksika has followed the Siksika Nation COVID-19 Risk Scale, a framework for local context that defines risk level associated with local COVID-19 activity, and the implications that a change in level of risk will have on gatherings, activities, etc. COVID-19 is ever-evolving and remains a risk for our community and all communities. It is also of critical importance to protect Siksika’s healthcare system. Protective measures support the health of not only individuals, families, and communities, but also our healthcare systems as these do not have infinite capacity. As such, COVID-19 risk level advisory is subject to change as local context changes.