Rick Soup, Director of Emergency Management for the Blood Tribe, providing an update. (Blood Tribe Administration)

By David Opinko

Blood Tribe announces travel restrictions, service limitations, help for residents

Mar 26, 2020 | 11:04 AM

STANDOFF, AB – The Blood Tribe Administration (BTA) is taking steps to limit the spread of COVID-19 in their communities and both protect and aid their citizens.

Director of Emergency Management Rick Soup and Chief Roy Fox made presentations via video on Wednesday to outline these measures. You can watch both videos at the bottom of this story.

Soup says their offices that remain open will only be providing essential services for now, which include health, social development, public works, policing, housing, seniors’ management, and shelters.

Residents of the Blood Tribe are asked to only travel for essential needs while gatherings in community buildings have been restricted.

The BTA looks to limit the number of people who are entering their communities.

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“We are increasing our efforts to protect our members by more travel restrictions through public Highway 509, Highway 2,” says Soup. “We are asking travellers that are not members to continue their travel along these highways without stopping to gas up or for confectionary items.”

Chief Fox announced a decision from last week where up to $500,000 in emergency supplies will be provided to those in need.

“These monies are to provide for necessary cleaning and basic food items for the members of the Kainai Blood Tribe including those that live in Lethbridge, Calgary, and neighbouring towns and areas.”

Kits are being prepared now. The BTA says they will be distributed on a priority basis, but more details will be provided in the coming days.

Fox adds that they are preparing their mobile medical unit to travel to areas such as Moses Lake, Levern, and Standoff every weekend until the end of April.

“We have to listen to our medical professionals, we have to listen to our experts, we have to listen to our emergency people to ensure that we remain safe,” says Fox.

Soup mentioned that some of their facilities are being repurposed to provide shelter and care as needed.

Funeral homes are working with families, limiting funerals to one day, and conducting some ceremonies in the funeral home itself.

As for council meetings, those will primarily be done through teleconferences for the time being.