N.L. reports 4 new COVID-19 cases, as Lewisporte area enters Alert Level 4
9 positive, 14 presumptive positive cases associated with cluster
Newfoundland and Labrador is reporting four new confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, as communities in the Lewisporte area move into Alert Level 4.
Three of the cases are in the Central Health region. One of them is travel-related: a man in his 60s who travelled within Canada. The other two cases are men between 20 and 39, with the source of infection under investigation.
There is also one case in the Western Health region, a woman under the age of 20 who is a close contact of a previous case.
All cases are now in isolation, and contact tracing is underway, according to public health.
Nine new recoveries were also reported, lowering the province's active caseload to 65.
Four people are in hospital due to COVID-19, and 141,243 people have now been tested for the virus in Newfoundland and Labrador, including 332 since Friday's COVID-19 update.
14 presumptive cases in Lewisporte area
With the release of Saturday's COVID-19 numbers, there are now nine confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the Lewisporte-area cluster, and 14 presumptive positive cases in the region.
The outbreak prompted an unexpected Friday media availability with Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Janice Fitzgerald, who moved communities from Lewisporte to Summerford into Alert Level 4 beginning Saturday.
According to a tweet from Health Minister John Haggie, 17 communities are subject to the new alert level.
Communities under Level 4: Sandy cove<br>Laurencton<br>Burnt Arm<br>Brown’s Arm<br>Porterville<br>Stanhope<br>Lewisporte<br>Embree<br>Little Burnt Bay<br>Michaels Harbour<br>Campbellton<br>Comfort Cove-Newstead<br>Loon Bay<br>Baytona<br>Birchy Bay<br>Boyd’s Cove<br>Summerford
—@Johnrockdoc"While all these cases appear to be linked at this time, the source is still under investigation," Fitzgerald told reporters Friday. "This signals to us there is community spread in the area."
As part of the move into Alert Level 4, Fitzgerald encouraged anyone experiencing even one symptom of the virus to arrange a COVID-19 test. Testing will also expand in the region as community testing centres are being set up in the region.
Fitzgerald said anyone travelling to the Lewisporte area for the long weekend for camping should stay outdoors as much as possible, keep within their own contacts, and avoid public places.