Newfoundland and Labrador has its first confirmed positive case of COVID-19 in 43 days.
The Department of Health and Community Services reports it was a local resident in the Eastern Health region who returned from travel to Texas.
The man, who’s in his 50s, did not pass through the Atlantic provinces, and followed the protocol to self-isolate upon arrival.
“While on route to Newfoundland and Labrador, the individual was not symptomatic nor considered infectious,” the department said in a statement.
“As the individual was not symptomatic during travel to the province and followed the self-isolation protocol upon his return, the risk to the public is low at this time.”
The province opened its doors to travel within the Atlantic region a week ago, but more than 8,000 exemptions to a travel ban have been granted since it was imposed in May, and residents have been free to travel outside the province and return all along. Anyone entering from outside the Atlantic provinces has to self-isolate for 14 days.
Public health officials have repeatedly said new cases should be expected, and will not necessarily herald a return to stricter health measures.
“The expectation of zero cases throughout the remainder of this pandemic is neither sustainable nor realistic,” Chief Medical Officer Dr. Janice Fitzgerald said Wednesday.