UPDATE:
This notice has been updated to include Air Creebec as well as Thunder Air.
ORIGINAL STORY:
As of Sept. 30 and until further notice, people travelling to Moose Factory will need permission to book flights and charters with Thunder Air.
The change is in response to confirmed COVID-19 cases in the community.
It affects Moose Factory Island residents arriving home, non-residents travelling to Moose Factory and those travelling for essential service, according to a Moose Cree First Nation announcement.
Weeneebayko Area Health Authority medical staff are not required to have permission.
“The Moose Factory Pandemic Emergency Operations Team (PEOT) along with Chief Mervin Cheechoo have been in discussions with officials from Thunder Air regarding air travel during the pandemic,” reads the statement. “All were in agreement that additional safety measures are required as we attempt to prevent further confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Moose Factory Island.”
Discussions with AirCreebec regarding similar precaution measures are underway, according to the statement.
Moose Factory has had four COVID-19 cases and is the first community in the James and Hudson Bay region to be affected. The Porcupine Health Unit announced the first case Sept. 12.
Of the confirmed cases, two have been resolved and two remain active. The individuals are self-isolating.
After the first case was confirmed in the James Bay area, First Nation communities in the region went into lockdown to help stop the spread of the virus.
Anyone who has travelled south and returned to Moose Factory must stay home for 14 days from the date they returned. If COVID-19 symptoms begin to develop, they can contact Moose Factory Health Centre at 705-658-4220.
To submit a request for permission to travel by Thunder Air, contact Moose Cree First Nation’s executive administrative assistant Sara Wesley at [email protected] or 705-288-1217.
