5 new COVID-19 cases reported

The Department of Health and Community Services announced five new confirmed cases of COVID-19. Of those cases, four were located in the Eastern Health region and one is in the Central Health region.

All cases were related to travel within Canada.

There is one new presumptive positive case in the Western Health region. It is linked to a previous known case in the Codroy Valley and surrounding area.

There are eight confirmed cases related to the Codroy Valley and surrounding area, and three of those confirmed cases are associated with the school. There is no evidence of widespread community transmission in the Codroy Valley and surrounding area at this time.

One person is in hospital due to COVID-19.

There are 78 active cases of COVID-19 in the province. 138,624 people have been tested.

As of Saturday, there was a new Special Measures Order in effect, requiring all travellers aged five and older to be tested according to their self-isolation arrangements. This new testing protocol does not apply to essential workers and rotational workers coming from non-outbreak sites in Canada, as they would be subject to their own existing protocols. It also does not apply to any traveller in the province for two days or less, or permanent residents of the communities along the Labrador-Quebec border travelling to communities across the border who have not travelled beyond those communities in the last 14 days.

Asymptomatic travellers who can self-isolate fully away from others are required to be tested once near the end of the 14-day self-isolation period, on days 11, 12, or 13. Fully self-isolating away from others means staying in a separate dwelling (e.g. household, hotel, or rental property) or a completely separate area of the home with a separate bedroom and bathroom and no contact with anyone in the dwelling.

Asymptomatic travellers who cannot fully self-isolate away from others are required to be tested twice during the 14-day self-isolation period – upon arrival on days zero, one or two; and again near the end of the self-isolation period on days 11, 12, or 13. This applies to travellers isolating in a home where others are living, and where there is no separate bedroom and/or bathroom. In this case, the whole household must self-isolate.

There is also an option for travellers to avail of a test on days seven, eight, or nine. After day seven, household members of the traveller may also avail of testing.