Sucker Creek First Nation in Alberta is dealing with its first positive case of COVID-19 and rising waters that are currently threatening more than a dozen homes.
According to officials, the individual who tested positive is currently self-isolating, and the community is taking precautions to prevent the spread.
The community, located 350 kilometres northwest of Edmonton, is also dealing with a flood.
According to Chief Jim Badger, 25 homes need to be evacuated.
To make matter worse, there’s no place for the people to go, he said.
“It’s a lot of stress,” said Badger. “We had 25 rooms booked at the High Prairie Days Inn, but the manager called and cancelled them.”
The flood happens every spring and each year the Days Inn accommodates evacuees.
Manager Linda Maure said the COVID-19 pandemic has forced hotels to lay off employees.
“I don’t have staff,” she said. “There’s no way I can bring anyone into the hotel with only one staff member.”
The Alberta government said one isolated case of COVID-19 doesn’t mean there is an outbreak.
The member who tested positive with the virus is not threatened at this time by rising waters.
Badger said the community is scrambling to find accommodations.
“There’s a lot of frustration,” he said. “There’s many people that still don’t understand the seriousness of this.”
APTN contacted Indigenous services for comment but had not received a reply back by this posting.
According to Badger, people are still inside the 25 homes.
