The coronavirus could be devastating for remote Northern communities — especially those without running water, adequate housing and medical care, leaders say.

As Arctic countries fight to contain the spread of novel coronavirus infections, Indigenous leaders say the pandemic highlights critical gaps in Northern infrastructure, from water to housing to medical care.

Dalee Sambo Dorough, chair of the Inuit Circumpolar Council, highlighted the potential dangers to remote, rural communities in the Arctic.

“The common recommendation that everyone is making is to wash your hands for 20 seconds at minimum,” she told ArcticToday. “You know, ‘sing Happy Birthday twice while washing your hands.’”

But, she pointed out, this advice presents a problem for communities and households without running water.

“Approximately 4,500 homes in Alaska do not have potable water,” she said, and neither do many households across the Canadian Arctic. Read more at ArcticToday.