Drive-thru COVID-19 testing continues today in Morley at the Centex Gas Station from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Officials are encouraging anyone with symptoms, who has attended a funeral or community gathering or has been in close contact with someone who has tested positive to be tested immediately.

The community is in the midst of a major outbreak of the virus that has led to a state of local emergency being declared on the Stoney Nakoda Nation on Jan. 11.

Fourteen new cases were reported yesterday, raising the total number of active cases to 153. The number of cases has nearly tripled in the last week from the 52 reported on Jan. 7. On Dec. 31, there were 28 known active cases.

Sadly, four deaths have been attributed to the virus.

Stoney Health Services has announced small batches of the vaccine have started to arrive and are first being administered to critical homecare and emergency workers who are at high risk of exposure as part of Phase 1a of the rollout.

Residents of long-term care and designated supported living are also part of this phase. 

In Phase 1b, elders and seniors 65-plus will be invited to get the vaccine upon its arrival.

A COVID-19 Supply Hotline has been established for food medication and water for those with COVID and are in quarantine or those who are in isolation because they have been in close contact with someone who has the virus.

They've also established a hotline to report those who are not following COVID-19 restrictions.