ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — Newfoundland and Labrador health officials announced a new confirmed case of COVID-19 Thursday, one day short of a three-week run of zeroes.
The person is a man in his 40s in the Eastern Health region.
The Department of Health confirmed Thursday afternoon the case is travel-related. Contact tracing is underway, and everyone who is considered a close contact will be advised to quarantine for 14 days.
Asked Wednesday about the seeming disappearance of virus in the province, Chief Medical Officer Janice Fitzgerald warned that importation of the virus is still a strong possibility.
“While we believe the prevalence is low, we don’t think it’s zero,” she said. “We do have people coming into the province on a regular basis still, through essential workers, people returning home. So we do still have that risk of importation.”
The total cumulative cases now stands at 261.
There are now two active cases isolating at home, and one other active case in hospital. There have been three deaths related to the disease.
To date, 11,775 people have been tested.
For more information related to COVID-19, visit www.gov.nl.ca/covid-19.
