Island Health and the BC Centre for Disease Control are supporting a community-led effort.
They’re working together to learn more about the COVID-19 virus and the cluster of cases on Cormorant Island.
“We are so proud of the way our community came together to respond to the COVID-19 cluster,” says Don Svanvik, Chief of the ‘Namgis First Nation. “This is an exciting opportunity to continue collaborating with our partners to learn more about this disease and the impact it had on our community.”
Between June 24th and 27th, those ages 12 and up living on Cormorant Island will have the opportunity to be tested for the presence of COVID-19 antibodies.
The test will show if a person had COVID-19 in the past, even if they did not feel sick or test positive.
“I would encourage everyone over the age of 12 to get tested, even if they did not feel sick,” says Dennis Buchanan, Mayor of the Village of Alert Bay. “There should be no stigma attached to anyone who had COVID-19. Get tested so that the information can be used to help better understand the way this virus affected people here.”
On April 18th, the Village of Alert Bay, ‘Namgis First Nation and Whe-La-La-U Area Council Society declared a local state of emergency in response to increased COVID-19 activity.
There were a total of 30 test-confirmed cases during the cluster, but there hasn’t been a test-confirmed case on Cormorant Island since the end of April.
“When Chief Svanvik and Mayor Buchanan requested this antibody testing for their community, we were excited to offer our support,” says Dr. Charmaine Enns, North Island Medical Health Officer. “As we continue to learn about this disease, the knowledge gained on Cormorant Island will be an invaluable resource.”
This is among the first communities in B.C. to participate in population level antibody testing in order to better understand the scope and transmission of COVID-19 within their community.
If you’d like to book an appointment for antibody testing, call 1 (844) 844-2219 between 8:30am and 4:30pm.
