Change to public health guidance as 480 new cases reported

There are 480 new cases of COVID-19 today. Of the new cases, 209 are in the Eastern Health region, there are 81 cases in Central Health, 99 in the Western Health region, 85 in the Labrador-Grenfell Health region 85, and 6 cases outside of an RHA.

There has been another death in the Central Health region. This is the province's 21st death from COVID-19.

Currently, there are 4370 active cases and there were 168 recoveries.

Four people are in hospital.

---

Effective midnight tonight:

Isolation for someone who has COVID-19 (tested positive or a close contact with symptoms) and fully vaccinated is reduced from 10 days to 7 days

Isolation for close contacts who do not have symptoms is as follows:

• Fully vaccinated household contacts who cannot isolate away from the case is reduced from 10 days to 7 days;

• Unvaccinated household contacts who cannot isolate away from the case is reduced from 24 days to 10 days;

• Fully vaccinated household contacts who can isolate away from the case and non-household contacts is reduced from 7 days to 5 days; and

• Unvaccinated household contacts who can isolate away from the case and non-household contacts is reduced 14 days to 10 days.

Household contacts should be tested 72 hours after the person in their household started having symptoms or, if no symptoms, 72 hours after they had their COVID-19 test.

Non-household contacts should be tested 72 hours after they last had contact with the person who has COVID-19.

These changes apply to all current cases and close contacts who are in isolation. Anyone who is in isolation longer than the new requirements can leave isolation if they have a negative test result.

Anyone that is a close contact of a case and has symptoms of COVID-19, should consider themselves a positive case and follow public health direction. They do not need any testing to confirm. Employers are asked not to require a PCR test for this category of individuals. Public health direction for positive cases can be found here.

Anyone testing positive on a rapid test should consider themselves a positive case and follow public health direction. They no longer need PCR testing to confirm. Public health direction for positive cases can be found here.

PCR tests are still recommended for anyone that is a close contact and does not have symptoms, and anyone that has symptoms but has not been identified as a close contact of someone that tested positive for COVID-19.