GREENSTONE, Ont. — The number of active COVID-19 cases in the Greenstone area of the Thunder Bay district dropped on Monday to 50, according to Geraldton District Hospital.
The hospital publishes daily updates for Greenstone and surrounding First Nations using data obtained through the Thunder Bay District Health Unit.
In its report on Friday the hospital said there were 64 active cases in Greenstone area.
According to Monday's update, there are six new cases of COVID-19, but 22 previously diagnosed cases have been resolved.
Long Lake 58 First Nation, adjacent to Longlac, remains under a state of emergency as the community continues to deal with a serious outbreak.
Chief Judy Desmoulin said the pandemic may not have peaked yet.
She hopes to see a downward trend in cases soon, but said she's concerned that most of the new cases now involve children.
"We still have a lot of work to do," she added.
The Chief said she's arranged to bring in outside security from Manitoulin Island to help with education and enforcement of the state of emergency regulations.
In a weekend interview, she described her community as an example of how quickly the virus can spread.
“These measures are in there for a reason – they come from our health experts,” she said. “I’m really seeing first-hand the true importance of why people need to isolate.”
Greenstone Mayor Renald Beaulieu said Monday he was glad to see that the number of active cases in the area declined over the weekend.
"It means the right things are being done. As for the community of Longlac, there is only so much we can do," Beaulieu said, adding that it's up to everyone to follow the COVID-19 safeguards.
The mayor said "there are a lot of worried citizens wanting to know what can be done" but he believes Desmoulin is trying to do her best to "keep her people intact, provide them what they need, and making sure they stay in their homes as much as possible."
Residents of at least 70 households of 125 homes in Long Lake #58 are isolating either due to a positive COVID test or contact tracing.
Desmoulin said there is "a high number" of COVID-19 variants among the cases in her community.
