COVID-19 UPDATE FOR FORT HALL RESERVATION – Jan 26

IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

January 26, 2021

COVID-19 UPDATE FOR FORT HALL RESERVATION 

Fort Hall-   The number of active COVID19 cases has decreased over the past two weeks, however, in the last 14 days we have had two additional COVID19 deaths. We continue to pray for our families that are in mourning and continue to stress to you all to keep safe. The virus is still alive in and around our community. 

On a lighter note, the Tribe is moving faster than the State of Idaho on providing vaccines to our community including our front-line health workers, our elders 65 years of age, and most recently those that are 55 years and older.   

I.H.S health official states, “We are hearing other COVID19 variants are out there, we need to stay vigilant as a community as we move into the spring.” This requires wearing your facemask, washing your hands, and keeping socially distant. 

Incident Commander, Eric King states, “We must maintain a strict stance on NO large gatherings despite the Governor’s recent lift on gatherings.”  

The decrease in the spread of COVID19 is also due to the active weekly screenings the Tribe has implemented since December and will continue to provide until early March 2021.  These weekly screenings are seeing a daily range of 40-200 community members getting tested at one community lodge. We thank all of the Tribal members that have been diligent in getting tested weekly! In addition, we give appreciation to our National Guardsmen that have been on the ground assisting our community with the screenings and vaccinations. 

A new schedule for the weekly screenings is coming soon for February 2021 and will be posted on the Tribes Facebook page to share, in addition, placed in the Sho-ban news for printed visibility. 

The data below is received as of January 25, 2021, at 4:00PM. Check out the Tribe’s new ‘COVID19 Dashboard’ on the Tribes government website, www.sbtribe.com for all COVID19 data including the information below.  Note: These numbers change daily. 

Total Cases to-date               817

Total Active Cases                      7

Hospitalized                              1

Deaths due to C19                   17

Total Recovered to-date       793

Total Hospitalized to-date           67

Hospitalization rate               8.2% 

MASS SCREENING DATA FOR EACH TESTING LOCATION:  

Friday, Jan 22nd at the Chiefs Event Center- 142 tested /0 positives 

Saturday, Jan 23rd at Chiefs Event Center- 32 tested / 6 positives 

Sunday, Jan 24—no testing is provided on this day. 

Monday, Jan 25th at Eagle Lodge – 186 tested / 2 positives

On Average, we are seeing 3 positive cases per day on the Fort Hall Reservation.

VACCINE UPDATE

Since December 23rd, a total of 911 Moderna vaccines have been given to-date and 65 community members received their 2nd boost shots as of January 25th.  This breaks down to covering 10% of our Reservation population to-date. This is a high rate compared to the surrounding region and state.  

The Shoshone-Bannock Tribes Vaccine Plan has been successful and we are asking community members that receive a date for your 2nd booster shot to keep the date/time given to you by the health official. You cannot reschedule as this throws off the entire scheduling for others.  Questions? Call 208-238-5427 or 208-238-5435 (open Monday-Friday from 8AM to 5PM).  If you are an elder and have underlying medical conditions, you are considered to be categorized in the vulnerable population and therefore are encouraged to call and request a vaccine. Vaccines are not recommended for 18 years and younger. 

According to CDC guidelines, if you have taken the vaccine and get exposed to a positive case, you will still be required to quarantine for 14 days.

COMMUNITY UPDATES

The Tribal Health & Human Services department purchased a Mobile Medical Unit or what we are calling the “Health on Wheels” mobile unit will be available to service the Fort Hall Reservation for mass community events. The unit will not make home stops. The mobile unit was purchased with grant funding from the Indian Health Service and CDC COVID-19 funds. The mobile unit is not yet available until the staff is formally trained on how to use the unit, medical supplies are still being compiled to place in the unit, and internet connectivity is still needed for the unit.  Stay tuned for an official announcement when the unit is ready.

This is still a pandemic and the Tribes are saying NO gatherings of any kind, no more than 10 people at one gathering unless there is an approved Safety Plan and strict social distancing is enforced.  This includes NO powwows, basketball tournaments, and Indian Relay. Do not attend large gatherings of more than 10 people that are not from your household.

The Tribes Facebook Live is scheduled for this Thursday, January 28th at 12-1PM on the Tribes official Facebook page, follow @shoban tribes.  Topics will include an update on mental wellbeing during a pandemic, an update on the Tiny Homes for COVID patients, and an overall COVID update on testing data and announcements. Please continue to watch the weekly Facebook Live for current information related to the Fort Hall community.  

Last week, the Communications team released a health PSA (video) featuring Tribal member Tony Shay Moon Elk, B.A., M.A., Tribal Elder, and Shoshone Language Instructor with the Language Culture Preservation Department at the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes, as he shared a message about COVID-19 in the Shoshone language.  This video and all other PSA’s are available on the Tribes government website, Tribes Facebook page, and Tribes YouTube channel (search Shoshone bannock tribes).

This month we have a few community Food Distributions to announce- the next one will be this Thursday, January 28th at the LDS Church on Highway 91 starting at 12-6PM, and next Monday, February 1st, same time and location. In addition to the food box, we will be providing free packages of sanitizing wipes to each car. 1,200 packages of disinfectant wipes were given out at last Thursday’s Idaho Food Bank distribution at the old casino.  These wipes were donated to the Tribes and will also be provided for free at all mass screening sites and I.H.S (don’t have to be a Shoshone-Bannock Tribal member or Native American to receive). 

Please be safe Fort Hall! The virus is contagious, please keep your hands washed and keep your home sanitized. If you need to contact a Contact Tracer call 208-478-3901 or 208-478-3902. 

Click on the Tribes COVID19 website for ongoing updates on the COVID dashboard, facemask mandate, Tribal PSA’s, Facebook live recordings, etc.  http://sbtribes.com/covid-19/