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New case of COVID-19 in western Newfoundland related to previous case

There is a new case of COVID-19 in the Western Health region Sunday, related to a case reported in the area Saturday in which a man died.

Now 4 active cases of the virus in the province

Newfoundland and Labrador reported one new case of COVID-19 on Sunday. (Paula Duhatschek/CBC)

There is one new case of COVID-19 being reported in Newfoundland and Labrador on Sunday, in the province's Western Health region.

In a media release issued at 7:15 p.m. on Sunday, the Department of Health said the new case is a woman between 60 and 69 years old and is related to a case announced Saturday, in which a man died.

The Department of Health said the new case is travel-related. Officials say the woman arrived in Canada from Central Africa and was asymptomatic during travel. 

"Public health guidelines are being followed, and the woman is self-isolating. An investigation by public health is completed. Anyone considered a close contact is in quarantine and has been tested," reads the media release.

The related case reported Saturday was a man in his 60s who died while in self-isolation Thursday after arriving in the province from Central Africa the previous day.

The department told CBC News on Sunday the man was granted a travel exemption to come into the province and was considered presymptomatic while travelling.

"Presymptomatic refers to infected individuals who have not yet developed symptoms, but do go on to develop them later in the period of infection," a spokesperson for the department said in an email.

Officials say public health guidelines were followed and there's a low risk of transmission. The provincial government is asking anyone who travelled on Air Canada Flight 8876 from Halifax to Deer Lake on Wednesday to self-monitor for symptoms and contact 811 for testing.

The province's case total moves to 277. There are four active cases.

As of Sunday afternoon, 44,121 people have been tested across the province. Of those, 407 were tested in the last day.

Since March, 269 people have recovered from the virus.

There have been four deaths.

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