NL

For 12th straight day, no new cases of COVID-19 reported in N.L.

Newfoundland and Labrador remains in Alert Level 3. There could be a shorter window for when the province can move to relax even further public health regulations in Alert Level 2, but that has not yet been decided.
Mary Thistle, 97, visits with her children through the window at the retirement home where she lives. Long-term-care centres have been closed to visitors since late March, but government has said changes to that policy are coming soon. (Submitted by Loralee Wettlaufer)

There are no new reported cases of COVID-19 in Newfoundland and Labrador as of Tuesday, making it the 12th day in a row without one.  

The province's caseload stands at 261, with three deaths and 256 people having recovered. There are two active cases. One person is in hospital. 

As of Tuesday, 13,755 people have been tested for COVID-19. That's an increase of 306 in the last day.

Testing numbers have risen considerably over the last week, as the province's four health authorities have started testing all hospital admissions for COVID-19.

In a news release last week, Eastern Health said the policy would include scheduled appointments that require an aerosol-generating medical procedures, including upper endoscopy or bronchoscopy.

The health authority said people with planned admissions or outpatient appointments for aerosol-generating medical procedures are to be contacted up to three days in advance to have a swab test beforehand.

For unplanned hospital visits — such as a patient in the emergency room — tests are done if the patient needs to be admitted to the hospital.

Day 2 of Level 3

It's been just over three months since the province declared a public health emergency due to COVID-19. 

This week, there are signs of returning to pre-pandemic life, with retail stores, hair salons and restaurants and other businesses reopening. However, shopping or dining out or getting a haircut looks different compared to early March. 

Some public servants are returning to the regular workspaces, too, and Metrobus has increased the number of passengers allowed on a bus to 19.

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