ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — With Newfoundland and Labrador’s COVID-19 case count showing continued improvement — there was just one new confirmed case reported Friday — the province’s Chief Medical Health Officer said there will be a new focus on finding any undetected pockets of the virus.
Dr. Janice Fitzgerald says Public Health will be opening COVID-19 testing to people who show no symptoms but wish to be tested. Fitzgerald noted there have been many cases of positive tests of asymptomatic (no symptoms) individuals who were tested as the result of contact tracing involving previously known cases. This new testing program is aimed at identifying those types of “hidden” cases to increase confidence in the reduction of community spread.
The results will also play a part in any decision to bring the province — especially the Eastern Health region, currently in a lockdown — to lower alert levels. A week ago, in announcing the Avalon Peninsula region would remain at the Alert Level 5 — the highest level in the N.L. COVID-19 response plan — while the rest of the province moved down to Level 4, Fitzgerald suggested there would be another review during the week ending March 12 (next week).
That new voluntary testing program will take place at established clinics in Mount Pearl, Burin, Harbour Grace and Clarenville, where appointments are now being accepted, as well as at pop-up clinics that will be established in Trepassey, Bonavista, Placentia and downtown St. John’s next week.
While the daily report numbers continue to be encouraging and the voluntary testing effort is an indication we may down to remnant cases associated with the most recent outbreak in the metro St. John’s region, Fitzgerald once again noted the need for caution amidst the positive signs.
“We’re simply not there yet,” she said.
The single new positive test revealed Friday was in the Eastern Health region, So were the nine new recoveries over the last 24-hour period, bringing the total active cases in the province to 113.
There are seven people hospitalized with the virus, with two of them in intensive care.
