As the province declared an outbreak at Manitoba Hydro’s Keeyask site this week, MKO along with four partner First Nations in the project called on the Prime Minister to address the situation at the site.

MKO Grand Chief Garrison Settee said that their meetings with the crown corporation made it clear to them that they had -quote- “no plan to address the outbreak”, and accused Premier Brian Pallister and Health Minster Cameron Friesen for not showing urgency regarding the situation.

Settee, along with the Chiefs of York Factory, Fox Lake, War Lake, and Tataskweyak, also criticized Hydro for lack of transparency and communication regarding the situation, stating that workers from their communities are scared and are asking for reassurances.

As of Tuesday afternoon, 20 confirmed cases of COVID-19 were reported at Keeyask by Manitoba Hydro, with 11 cases still pending secondary test results from Cadham Provincial Lab.