ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — This is definitely one time when reaching the century mark is not a good thing.
Newfoundland and Labrador has exactly 100 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, all but one of them in the Eastern Health region.
That was the word from Dr. Janice Fitzgerald, the province’s Chief Medical Officer of Health at Thursday’s media briefing.
Of the 100 new confirmed cases, 74 — or almost three-quarters of them — involve individuals 19 and under, in line with numbers that have been spiking since the weekend revelation of an outbreak involving Mount Pearl Senior High School.
The announcement today — which marks the second straight day of record single-day positive tests — only adds to the evidence the virus “has been circulating in the province for some time,” according to Fitzgerald, who repeated what she had said Wednesday, that contact tracing has shown that while there were instances of positive tests among people who were asymptomatic, it also showed there were cases of people who had experienced mild symptoms but had not arranged for testing.
Dr. Fitzgerald says it has all contributed to a situation where COVID-19 numbers have moved from being a statistic to something “that is real and present, affecting family, friend and co-workers,” said Fitzgerald, who stressed the required, crucial counter-measures must be adherence to Special Measures Orders and Public Health guidelines, as well as extensive testing.
With regards to the latter, Dr. Fitzgerald’s early remarks included a special thank you to those working outdoor drive-thru testing clinics on what was a blustery Thursday, but a day when the demand for testing increased as a result of recent happenings.
Fitzgerald announced much of the investigation is focused on individuals from Grades 7 and 12 and their activities from last weekend — Friday, Feb. 5 to Sunday, Feb. 7 — adding Public Health is asking individuals in those groups (and others who participated) living in the metro St. John’s region who attended parties and other gatherings of 10 or more people to isolate for two weks and — depending on whether they are symptomatic (see below) — to arrange for testing.
That target group expands to those in those age brackets who participated in sports events on those dates, and not just those in the metro region, but those who would have participated in competition against metro-area athletes in that age range on the weekend dates. Coaches and other support staff for the young athletes also fall under that umbrella.
Information highlights from Thursday's media briefings/news release
In light of the changing COVID-19 situation, Public Health is now asking anyone experiencing one single of the following symptoms of COVID-19 to get tested.
- Fever, including chills or sweats;
- A new or worsening cough;
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing;
- Runny, stuffy or congested nose;
- Sore throat or difficulty swallowing;
- Headache;
- Loss of sense of smell or taste;
- Unusual fatigue or lack of energy;
- New onset of muscle aches;
- Loss of appetite;
- Vomiting or diarrhea for more than 24 hours; and,
- Small red or purple spots on hands and/or feet.
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Due to the rapidly evolving nature of the investigation in the metro area and the ongoing detection of new cases among students in Grades 7-12 and their contacts, Public Health is advising anyone who participated in the following events on the specified dates and times listed below to self-isolate for 14 days.
- Students in Grades 7-12 and other individuals who attended parties or gatherings of 10 or more people with these students in the metro area on February 5-7;
- Students in Grades 7-12 and other individuals who played team sports with students in the metro area on February 5-7, which includes individuals who live outside of the metro area who played on the same or opposing teams or played in a tournament; and,
- Individuals who coached or assisted with team sports in Grades 7-12 who played games or practiced in the metro area on February 5-7.
Individuals in the above groups are asked to self-isolate away from household members for 14 days from the date of the last gathering or game they attended, or from their last contact with a positive case, whichever is more recent.
If a self-isolating individual who attended one of these events develops any symptoms of COVID-19, they should arrange testing.
Testing can be arranged by completing the online self-assessment and referral tool available here or by calling 811.
There is also a concern for those in long-term care homes, and Dr. Fitzgerald said there will be increased restrictions on the number of visitors for residents of these facilities. As well, other measures related to long-term care homes are forthcoming.
While the current outbreak is in the Eastern Health region, Dr. Fitzgerald said the situation should be a warning to residents across the province about how quickly the virus can spread — and that complacency can expedite that process.
In all, the province now has 210 active cases, with no hospitalizations.
There were no recoveries announced Thursday, and Dr. Fitzgerald noted that most, if not, all of the 32 presumptive cases announced Wednesday were included in Thursday’s new-case numbers.
