ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — A noticeably positive shift in tone was easily detected at the COVID-19 update on Wednesday, as Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Janice Fitzgerald announced a comparatively low number of new cases, dozens of recoveries and changes to the vaccine rollout plan.
Three new confirmed cases in the Eastern Health region were announced, with two being between the ages of 20 and 39, and one between the ages of 50 and 59, and all three being contacts of a previous case.
With 56 new recoveries in the Eastern Health region and one recovery in Western Health, there are now 149 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, with 147 in the Eastern Health region and two in the Labrador-Grenfell Health region. There are currently no cases in the Central Health and Western Health regions.
The total case number to date is 997, and 838 people have recovered. Nine people are currently in hospital, and three of those patients are in intensive care.
The number of people who have been tested is 113,503.
The province has had several days in a row where reported cases were linked to previous cases, which is good news, Fitzgerald said.
“It means we are headed in the right direction,” she said. “Our testing numbers are down somewhat, which could indicate there are fewer contacts and fewer people who are symptomatic.”
While this suggests people are following public health guidance, finding any and all new cases is still a priority, as it is critical in determining community spread, Fitzgerald said.
“We have a balance to strike in the coming months, preventing COVID outbreaks and community spread while working to get as many people vaccinated as quickly as we can,” she said. “Evidence is now emerging and shows that the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine offers protection for a longer duration.”
With this and the limited vaccine supply in mind, Fitzgerald is recommending the interval between first and second doses be extended to four months.
“This will allow us to protect close to 40,000 extra people with one dose of a highly effective vaccine by the end of March,” she said. “It will also help to prevent symptomatic disease, hospitalizations and deaths.”
Premier Andrew Furey said the “light at the end of the tunnel is brightening” as the province approaches a year of dealing with the pandemic.
“The national narrative on vaccines has shifted from ‘if’ to ‘when and how,’” he said, noting that shipments have begun to increase.
The province is well on track with a vaccine rollout, he said, emphasizing that by the end of the month there will be close to 80,000 people vaccinated.
Health Minister Dr. John Haggie also noted the positive aspects of Wednesday’s announcement, saying the active case counts have fallen to levels not seen since January and that the news on vaccines is encouraging.
“Our system capacity … to administer is nowhere near even challenged by the numbers that we anticipate in deliveries over the course of the next four weeks,” he said.
With the new variant being more easily spread, Fitzgerald said they have to be more cautious regarding the guidelines for each alert level.
“It is going to change what we have to do with regard to gathering sizes (and) … situations where people get together in groups such as sports,” she said. “We need to double down on our efforts to reduce those contacts as much as possible. … It is going to look a little different.”
Andrew Waterman writes for the Telegram in St. John's. [email protected] | Twitter: @andrewlwaterman
