Public Health officials say contact tracing is complete and close contacts ordered to quarantine after a potential COVID-19 exposure at the Bigs Restaurant on Freshwater Road in St. John’s.
The Bigs confirmed on Sunday a person who’d been at the restaurant early last week tested positive for the virus four days later.
“Late (Saturday) night we were notified that a gentleman that had tested positive Friday for COVID had eaten in our restaurant on the previous Monday,” reads a statement from the restaurant.
The company closed the Freshwater Road location as a precaution and will reopen the restaurant on Friday.
A statement from the Department of Health and Community Services says contact tracing is complete for the potential exposure.
“Contact tracing for the case you referenced is completed and all close contacts have been advised to quarantine,” reads the statement.
“Anyone who was at the restaurant since Monday, should practice physical distancing, reduce their contacts as much as possible, monitor for any symptoms of COVID-19 and call 811 and self-isolate if you have any. If testing is recommended, they should get tested.”
The province currently has 21 active cases of COVID-19. There are 13 active cases in the Eastern Health region, eight in Western Health, and none in the Central or Labrador-Grenfell Health regions.
To date there have been 319 total cases of COVID-19 in the province since the beginning of the pandemic. Public health officials have conducted 58,601 tests for the virus.
Crosbie calls for more restrictions
In a statement, Opposition Leader Ches Crosbie says tighter restrictions are needed to stem the spread of the virus, calling for point-of-entry testing, tighter restrictions for rotational workers, and to reassess the province’s stance in the Atlantic Bubble.
“Newfoundlanders and Labradorians have made many personal sacrifices in the face of COVID-19,” reads the statement.
“Government must take swift action as we stare down a second wave of this pandemic.”
An announcement related to COVID-19 is scheduled for Monday at 12:30 p.m. Newfoundland time with Premier Andrew Furey, Health Minister Dr. John Haggie, and Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Janice Fitzgerald.
