Today (Wednesday, February 10), Newfoundland and Labrador has 53 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the Eastern Health region. Contact tracing by public health officials is underway. Everyone considered a close contact will be advised to quarantine.

The 53 new confirmed cases are as follows:

• 44 under 19 years of age
• Four between 20-39 years of age
• Four between 40-49 years of age
• One between 50-59 years of age

There are 26 females and 27 males.

There are 110 active cases.

The regional breakdown of the 110 total active cases is as follows:

Eastern Health – 106
Central Health – 0
Labrador-Grenfell Health – 0
Western Health – 4

The Department of Health and Community Services is also advising the public that there are 32 new presumptive positive cases of COVID-19 in the Eastern Health region.

These individuals have been advised to self-isolate. Contact tracing is underway. Anyone considered a close contact is being advised to quarantine.

There have been no new recoveries since yesterday meaning 393 people have recovered from the virus.

There is no one in hospital.

To date, 84,220 people have been tested.

Public Health is advising against travel in and out of the St. John’s metro area, except for essential purposes.

The Chief Medical Officer of Health has issued a modified special measures order for the St. John’s metro area that will come into effect Thursday, February 11, 2021, at 12:01 a.m. These measures will be re-evaluated in two weeks.

Your responsibility:

• Follow Public Health Guidance for All Alert Levels.
• Stay at home as much as possible, except to get essentials like groceries and medications.
• Limit your contacts to your household bubble.
• If you have COVID-19 symptoms, contact 811.
• You are strongly encouraged to work from home, where possible.

Public Spaces and Gatherings:

• Gatherings such as funerals, burials, weddings, and religious and cultural ceremonies are limited to 10 people, as long as physical distancing can be maintained.
• Wakes and visitations are prohibited.
• Informal gatherings must be limited to your household bubble. If you are a one-person household you may join another household bubble.
• Schools and post-secondary educational institutions are closed.

Recreational Activities:

• Group and team sport and recreation activities are suspended.
• Group arts and cultural activities are suspended. This includes bands, choirs, dance and music classes.
• Gym and fitness facilities, yoga studios, swimming pools, tennis and squash facilities, arenas, dance studios and performance spaces are closed.
• Outdoor activities, including walking, hiking, or snowshoeing, are encouraged as long as physical distancing can be maintained between household bubbles and you are not required to self-isolate for any reason.
• Outdoor playgrounds can remain open.

Businesses and Services:

• Private health care clinics can remain open in accordance with provincial guidelines.
• Retail stores that do not provide services essential to life, health or personal safety of individuals and animals are closed to in-person service, but can offer online/telephone sales with delivery or curbside pick-up options.
• Personal service establishments, including spas, esthetic services, hair salons, body piercing, tattooing and tanning salons, are closed.
• Animal daycares and grooming facilities can remain open provided that contactless drop off and pick up can happen.
• Restaurants are closed for in-person dining. Take-out, delivery and drive-thru options are permitted.
• Bars, lounges, bingo halls and cinemas are closed.

In addition, the Chief Medical Officer of Health has issued a modified special measures order for the entire province that will come into effect Thursday, February 11, 2021 at 12:01 a.m. These measures will be re-evaluated in two weeks.

• All group and team sport and recreation activities where children, youth and/or adults gather in-person and where close contact is required, are suspended across the province.
• Group arts and cultural activities that involve in-person gatherings where close contact is required, are suspended. This includes bands, choirs, dance and music classes.

As part of its ongoing investigation into the cluster, Public Health is asking anyone who worked at or visited the following establishments on the specified dates and times listed below to arrange testing. People can arrange testing by completing the online self-assessment and referral tool available here or call 811 to get referred for an appointment. All those who get tested must self-isolate until they receive a negative test result.

• Jungle Jim’s in St. John’s, 657 Topsail Road, on Friday, February 5, 2021, from 12:15 p.m. – 1:15 p.m.
• Dairy Queen in Paradise, 1366 Topsail Road, on Friday, February 5, 2021, from 12:00 p.m. – 1:15 p.m.
• McDonald’s in Paradise, 1278 Topsail Road, on Saturday, February 6, 2021, from 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
• Wendy’s in Mount Pearl, 70 Old Placentia Road, on Wednesday, February 3, 2021, from 7:00 p.m. -11:00 p.m.
• A&W in Mount Pearl, 1 Cunard Place, on:
  • Thursday, February 4, 2021, from 4:00 p.m. – midnight
  • Sunday, February 7, 2021, from 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
• Tim Hortons in St. John’s, 283 Portugal Cove Road, on Saturday, February 6, 2021, from 12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
• Tim Hortons in Conception Bay South, 911 Conception Bay Highway, on Saturday, February 6, 2021, from 11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
• Starbucks in Paradise, 1641 Topsail Road, on Friday, February 5, 2021, from 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
• Burger King in Paradise, 1641 Topsail Road, on Friday, February 5, 2021, from 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
• Plaza Bowl in St. John’s, 50 Ropewalk Lane, on Saturday, February 6, 2021, from 10:30 p.m. – close
• Leons in St. John’s, 60 Elizabeth Avenue, on:
  • Friday, February 5, 2021
  • Saturday, February 6, 2021
• Canadian Tire in St. John’s, 50 Kelsey Drive, Sunday, February 7, 2021
• Rock Athletic in Mount Pearl, 236 Park Avenue, Tuesday, February 2, 2021, from 8:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
• Rec Room, Avalon Mall, Saturday, February 6, 2021, from 7:30 p.m. – midnight
• McDonald’s in Carbonear, 229 Columbus Drive, Friday, February 5, 2021, 5:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

Public Health is reminding people about the phrase People, Space, Time, and Place. People should always consider these four important reminders.

• People – The more people you interact with, the greater the risk of spread.
• Space – The closer you are to others, the greater the risk of spread.
• Time – The more time you spend with others, the greater the risk of spread.
• Place – Indoor activities with others are more risky than outdoor activities.

People are encouraged to download COVID Alert to help reduce the spread of the virus. It is available for free through the Apple or Google Play app stores.

Symptoms of COVID-19 include:

• Fever (or signs of a fever, including chills, sweats, muscle aches, lightheadedness);
• Cough;
• Headache;
• Sore throat;
• Painful swallowing;
• Runny nose;
• Diarrhea;
• Loss of sense of smell or taste;
• Unexplained loss of appetite; or,
• Small red or purple spots on the hands and/or feet.

In Alert Level 2, Newfoundlanders and Labradorians should continue to practice good infection prevention and control practices.

These practices include:

• Stay informed, be prepared, and follow Public Health advice;
• Wash your hands frequently with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds;
• Use an alcohol based hand sanitizer in the absence of soap and water;
• Do not touch your face;
• Practice proper cough and sneeze etiquette;
• Wear a non-medical mask in public indoor spaces;
• Maintain physical distancing;
• Increase cleanliness and ventilation of public spaces and worksites;
• Work from home, if possible; and,
• Stay home if you are sick and avoid contact with others.

For the most up-to-date information related to COVID-19, please visit: www.gov.nl.ca/covid-19.

– 30 –

Media contact
Lesley Clarke
Health and Community Services
709-729-6986, 699-2910
lesleyclarke@gov.nl.ca