After a newborn was found dead in a portable toilet in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, leaders of B.C. First Nations are calling for the toilets to be replaced with monitored washrooms in trailers.

The First Nations Leadership Council said that while the porta-potties at Main and Hastings were placed there with good intentions, they've created new health and safety problems for a vulnerable community.

The toilets aren't cleaned after every use, and they're completely enclosed and unmonitored, according to a written statement from the council, which is made up of leaders of the B.C. Assembly of First Nations, First Nations Summit and the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs.

"Someone can easily go undetected in a stall for an extended period of time, as was the devastating experience for this mother," the statement says.

"As a response to this situation, we would ask that these porta-potties be removed and immediately replaced with trailer-style washrooms with staff and peers monitoring the situation and ensuring appropriate sanitation to avoid COVID transmission."

The body of a newborn baby was discovered Wednesday evening inside one of the toilets outside the Carnegie Community Centre.

Police have yet to locate the child's mother, and say they're concerned about her well-being.

A woman reacts after bringing flowers to a memorial at a portable toilet where a newborn was found dead this week. (Ben Nelms/CBC)

The First Nations Leadership Council said the situation has created "deep ripples of grief" for the Downtown Eastside community.

"The tragic circumstances surrounding this loss of life highlight the many systemic failures that are a reality for many in the Downtown Eastside, and in particular, women and gender-diverse individuals. These issues have been heightened by the current COVID-19 pandemic," the statement says.

On Saturday morning, health officials, municipal and B.C. government representatives, and B.C. Housing will be making an announcement about new supports for the homeless in Vancouver and Victoria.