Offices Reopen to Public on March 15

UPDATED March 28, 2022

Nipissing First Nation (NFN) offices reopened to the public for regular business on March 15, 2022.  With Ontario continuing to lift public health restrictions, our Crisis Control Group (CCG) has revisited NFN’s COVID-19 Exit Plan and wishes to advise the community of the following updates to our operations.

• NFN Offices:  Reopen to the public on Tuesday, March 15^th during regular business hours: Monday to Friday from 8:30am to 4:30pm (closed daily from 12:00pm to 1:00pm). 
  • The province lifted its mask mandate on March 21^st for most public locations with some exceptions. 
    NFN will lift its mask mandate on April 4^th.  After this date, face coverings will be optional in most*
    NFN offices and vehicles, but NFN fully supports anyone who wants to continue to wear a mask for their safety and the safety of others.
    *NOTE:  Employees working at the Lawrence Commanda Health Centre, Ojibway Women’s Lodge and any NFN employee entering the Seniors’ Complex will continue with masking until April 27^th unless otherwise notified by a directive.

• As of April 4^th, passive screening will be in effect using the posted COVID-19 door signs.  Staff and visitors responding “Yes” to any of the screening questions are not to enter an NFN facility or vehicle.
  • The requirement to provide proof of vaccination to enter NFN buildings was lifted on March 14^th.

• NFN-Hosted Events & Space Rentals:  Indoor events hosted by NFN in our facilities will resume starting on May 1^st.  There is no proof of vaccination required, no active screening or collecting of contact information required.  Masks are optional but should still be available for participants choosing to wear one.  Hand sanitizer will also be available during all events.  We also plan to begin opening community space rentals to the public on May 1^st.

• Fitness Centre:  Our Fitness Centre is permanently closed for safety reasons, but a fitness subsidy to reimburse members for gym memberships purchased elsewhere remains open for applications until June 30, 2022.  Contact Brandie Fong at 705-753-3312 ext. 3000 or email [email protected] for more information and to apply.

• Employee Vaccination Disclosure Policy & Testing Programs:  The employee COVID-19 testing program will be lifted on April 4^th, except for employees working at the Lawrence Commanda Health Centre, the Ojibway Women’s Lodge or entering the Seniors’ Complex. The COVID-19 testing program for these employees will end April 27^th unless directed otherwise.  Please note that this is different from proof of vaccination requirements for the general public and is intended to keep our staff and community safe, especially in high-risk settings.

• Contact Tracing Support:  NFN’s Community Health Nurses have supported contact tracing throughout the pandemic and continue to do so even though it is no longer mandated by the province.  Please note that as of April 4^th, our Community Health Nurses will move to only positive case follow ups during regular business hours, unless otherwise directed by the Ontario Ministry of Health.

If you have any questions, please contact Freda Martel, Director of Administration, at 705-753-2050 ext. 1223 or [email protected] or Kimberly Lalonde, Director of Health Services, at 705-753-2050 ext. 2223 or [email protected].

---

CLICK HERE to download this notice dated March 28, 2022 in PDF format.

CLICK HERE to download the original notice from March 4, 2022 in PDF format.