Public Advisory: Update on COVID-19 in Newfoundland and Labrador

  • Health and Community Services

January 7, 2022

Today (Friday, January 7), Newfoundland and Labrador has 480 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 since the last media update on January 6. Contact tracing by Public Health is underway and anyone considered a close contact has been advised regarding quarantine according to current guidelines.

In the Eastern Health region:

  • Thirty-six under 20 years of age;
  • Seventy-one between 20-39 years of age;
  • Thirty-two between 40-49 years of age;
  • Forty-seven between 50-59 years of age;
  • Twelve between 60-69 years of age; and
  • Eleven 70 years of age and above.

There are 118 females and 91 males. All are under investigation.

In the Central Health region:

  • Eighteen under 20 years of age;
  • Twenty between 20-39 years of age;
  • Six between 40-49 years of age;
  • Fourteen between 50-59 years of age;
  • Thirteen between 60-69 years of age; and
  • Ten 70 years of age and above.

There are 42 females and 39 males. All are under investigation.

In the Western Health region:

  • Seven under 20 years of age;
  • Twenty-four between 20-39 years of age;
  • Eleven between 40-49 years of age;
  • Seventeen between 50-59 years of age;
  • Eleven between 60-69 years of age; and
  • Twenty-nine 70 years of age and above.

There are 52 females and 47 males. All are under investigation.

In the Labrador-Grenfell Health region:

  • Fourteen under 20 years of age;
  • Thirty-five between 20-39 years of age;
  • Fourteen between 40-49 years of age;
  • Seventeen between 50-59 years of age;
  • Three between 60-69 years of age; and
  • Two 70 years of age and above.

There are 35 females and 50 males. All are under investigation.

There are also six cases that are the result of testing completed by a private lab outside of a Regional Health Authority:

  • One between 20-39 years of age;
  • One between 40-49 years of age;
  • One between 60-69 years of age; and
  • Three 70 years of age and above

There are five females and one males. All are under investigation.

Newfoundland and Labrador is reporting its twenty-first death from COVID-19. The individual, a female from the Central Health region, was between 60-69 years of age. The department is sending its condolences to this individual’s family and asks everyone to respect the family’s privacy at this time.

There have been 168 new recoveries – 67 in the Eastern Health region, 56 in the Central Health region, 41 in the Western Health region and 4 in the Labrador-Grenfell region, and 3,139 people have recovered. There are four people in hospital because of COVID-19.

There are currently 4,370 active cases of COVID-19 in the province. The regional breakdown of the active cases is as follows:

  • Eastern Health – 2,640
  • Central Health – 447
  • Labrador-Grenfell Health – 866
  • Western Health – 388
  • Unknown RHA – 29

To date, 419,548 tests have been administered. People can check their COVID-19 test results online here.

All of Newfoundland and Labrador is now in Alert Level 4. This Alert Level will be reassessed on January 17, 2022. Information on Alert Level 4 can be found here.

Public Health is also revising isolation and testing requirements for people who have COVID-19 and their close contacts.

Effective midnight tonight:

  • Isolation for someone who has COVID-19 (tested positive or a close contact with symptoms) and fully vaccinated is reduced from 10 days to 7 days
  • Isolation for close contacts who do not have symptoms is as follows:
    • Fully vaccinated household contacts who cannot isolate away from the case is reduced from 10 days to 7 days;
    • Unvaccinated household contacts who cannot isolate away from the case is reduced from 24 days to 10 days;
    • Fully vaccinated household contacts who can isolate away from the case and non-household contacts is reduced from 7 days to 5 days; and
    • Unvaccinated household contacts who can isolate away from the case and non-household contacts is reduced 14 days to 10 days.
  • Household contacts should be tested 72 hours after the person in their household started having symptoms or, if no symptoms, 72 hours after they had their COVID-19 test.
  • Non-household contacts should be tested 72 hours after they last had contact with the person who has COVID-19.

These changes apply to all current cases and close contacts who are in isolation. Anyone who is in isolation longer than the new requirements can leave isolation if they have a negative test result.

Anyone that is a close contact of a case and has symptoms of COVID-19, should consider themselves a positive case and follow public health direction. They do not need any testing to confirm. Employers are asked not to require a PCR test for this category of individuals. Public health direction for positive cases can be found here.

Anyone testing positive on a rapid test should consider themselves a positive case and follow public health direction. They no longer need PCR testing to confirm. Public health direction for positive cases can be found here.

PCR tests are still recommended for anyone that is a close contact and does not have symptoms, and anyone that has symptoms but has not been identified as a close contact of someone that tested positive for COVID-19.

Symptoms of COVID-19 include:

  • 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.

Our Self-Isolation Assessment Tool can help you determine if you need to self-isolate or get tested. However, you should always follow the advice given to you when contacted by public health officials.

Wearing a face mask that covers the nose and mouth is required in public indoor settings for everyone ages five and over. Information on the Public Health guidance on masks can be found at www.gov.nl.ca/covid-19/public-health-guidance/guidance/masks/. In places where masks are not required, wearing a mask is strongly recommended, even when seated and/or physically distanced from other people.

All travellers coming to Newfoundland and Labrador, including Newfoundland and Labrador residents, are required to fill out a travel form found here. The travel form can be completed up to 30 days prior to the travel date. Please submit proof of your COVID-19 vaccination by uploading it to your form. Further information for those travelling to the province, including isolation and testing requirements, can be found here.

The most up to date vaccine data and the number of vaccine doses administered is on the provincial COVID-19 data hub. Information on COVID-19 vaccines for Newfoundland and Labrador is available online here. Additional information on the COVID-19 vaccination rollout is on the websites for each of the regional health authorities:

Eastern Health
Central Health
Western Health
Labrador-Grenfell Health

Please continue following the proven Public Health measures in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19. For the most up-to-date information related to COVID-19, please visit www.gov.nl.ca/covid-19.

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Media contact
Nancy Hollett
Health and Community Services
709-729-6554, 327-7878
nancyhollett@gov.nl.ca

2022 01 07 3:30 pm