'Relief' from Fitzgerald as N.L. life slowly resumes while COVID-19 cases stay low
Wednesday marks 13-day streak with no new cases
With no new cases Wednesday, it has been 13 days since Newfoundland and Labrador has had a new case of COVID-19, and more parts of daily life familiar from before the pandemic are beginning to resume.
There are further signs that aspects of life are returning to a pre-virus time, albeit with major differences compared with how things previously operated.
The total number of cases in the province remains 261, with 256 people having recovered and three deaths. There are two active cases. One person is in hospital due to the virus.
As of Wednesday's update, 13,870 people have been tested for COVID-19, with 115 in the past day.
Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Janice Fitzgerald says the province is in a place to resume living "in a way that feels more normal than it has in months."
"As businesses and activities reopen this week, I'm once again filled with relief and encouragement as we further transition into a more normal way of life while living with COVID-19," said Fitzgerald.
"This is indeed a positive step forward and means we can enjoy more summer activities and gatherings with family and friends, but in a modified way, as long as we can do so safely."
People, place, time, space
Fitzgerald also reiterated some simple guidance for reducing the spread of COVID-19. She said it's best to interact with as few people outside your bubble as possible, to reduce risk by minimizing the amount of time spent around those people, to find spaces where physical distancing is possible and to interact with others outdoors, if possible.
"Please remember these four important words: people, space, time, place. The significance of these words cannot be overstated," Fitzgerald said.
"To help protect ourselves and those around us, let these be our guiding principles moving forward."
Additional services are also available through ServiceNL, starting today. Eleven facilities across the province have reopened to allow in-person driving tests, written exams and licence photos. Appointments must be made for any of these services.
The province says it is the first step in phasing in services not available during the pandemic.
More services moving online
Premier Dwight Ball says as services resume, however, more of them will likely be available online — and some may available only that way.
"I think you're going to see, as a result of COVID and this pandemic, that you will see many, many more services that will be delivered online," he said.
"I do not believe that we will go back to some of the old ways of doing things. I think this is about adaptation.… We'll see this well into the future in a normal life, whatever that new normal is."
For things like virtual visits with doctors and medical specialists, the premier said, the pandemic has provided an opportunity to adapt to new technology.
We're not here to influence a decision. We base it on the advice of our public health officials.- Dwight Ball
But as businesses and other services open while health facilities are still ramping up medical appointments and procedures, Ball said politics isn't interfering with public health rules.
"We're not here to influence a decision. We base it on the advice of our public health officials. That's the position that we took from Day 1," Ball said.
"I know a lot of the decisions would be extremely difficult and I understand the frustration.… We're not here to say, 'This particular service should be available and the other one not' — that is not the type of influence that we put on our public health officials, and we won't."
Fitzgerald said the decisions on which procedures will resume and how they are done are based on the best available evidence, with regional health authorities opening as they see fit.
"There are other considerations for the regional health authorities than just strict public health considerations. There's things like PPE [personal protective equipment] and staffing considerations and other things," she said.
More details on recovered cases
With just one new case since May 7, Dr. Fitzgerald gave some further explanation about what is considered an active case of the disease and when people have recovered.
"If they're 10 days post-diagnosis or post-symptom onset and they're symptom free, then we consider them recovered," she said.
But if a person with COVID-19 is admitted to hospital with more severe symptoms, that patient generally has a higher viral count and, in turn, a higher risk of spreading the disease.
In that case, Fitzgerald said, a patient must have two negative tests 24 hours apart and be asymptomatic before they'd be considered recovered — and that can take time.
"There are some cases where it actually takes a long time for people to stop shedding the virus so they continue to have positive tests," Fitzgerald said.
"Across the country, we've had people up to eight, nine, 10 weeks before they actually stop shedding the virus and have those negative tests."
Earlier Wednesday, the City of St. John's announced registration for summer day camps will begin Thursday. Camps will operate at eight different locations, and will be restricted to 15 to 20 children.
Another major change compared with previous years: everyone — including staff, children, parents/guardians, delivery persons and guest speakers — must be screened for COVID-19 symptoms, travel history, and contact with people who may have COVID-19 before each time they enter the day camp premises.
In a press release Wednesday, the city said day-camp participants should be toilet-trained and able to feed themselves.