No new cases of COVID-19 as health officials continue call for testing
CBC News | Posted: February 1, 2021 5:57 PM | Last Updated: February 1, 2021
Source of 5-case cluster in St. John's still under investigation
Public health officials in Newfoundland and Labrador are continuing their investigation into a cluster of five COVID-19 cases in the Eastern Health region, while reporting no new cases Monday.
Those five cases were announced, rapid-fire, last week. It's not clear yet to contact tracers how the initial infection occurred, the Department of Health said in an update.
As it investigates, the department is reiterating its request that anyone present at three establishments in downtown St. John's, during the specified dates and times listed below, to call 811 to arrange testing:
- The Duke of Duckworth, 325 Duckworth St., on Jan. 20 from 3:30 p.m. to closing time.
- The Rose and Thistle Pub, 208 Water St., on Jan. 20 from 4:30 p.m. to closing time.
- Piatto Pizzeria & Enoteca, 377 Duckworth St., on Jan. 22 from 6 p.m. to closing time.
There are 13 active cases of the illness, with 10 of those in the Eastern Health region. One person is in hospital, the department said.
A suspected case linked to a daycare, also in the Eastern Health area, has not yet been confirmed, according to the update. No children or staff at that daycare have tested positive.
Since March, 408 people have contracted the virus, and 80,287 people have been tested.
As of Wednesday, the province had administered 10,080 doses of vaccine, with an update expected this week.
Labrador-Grenfell Health said Saturday that due to national delivery delays of the Moderna product, it would postpone its immunization program for seniors that had been scheduled for Feb. 8.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called those delays "temporary" in a media conference last week.
The country is also contending with a planned upgrade to the Pfizer-BioNTech manufacturing plant, which has also led to shipment delays across Canada.