Newfoundland and Labrador has recorded four more deaths due to COVID-19 in the past day, raising the total number of deaths in the province to 38 — with half coming this month alone.

From March 2020 through December, the province reported 19 deaths. But daily case counts started spiking around Christmas, sparked by the Omicron variant, and sent the known active caseload and hospitalizations soaring — with deaths following behind the new cases — into the new year.

Two of the deaths reported Thursday were in the Eastern Health region: a woman in her 40s and a man over the age of 70. There were also deaths in the Western Health and Labrador-Grenfell Health regions, both women over the age of 70.

The number of hospitalizations due to COVID-19 in the province is 20, with seven people in critical care — both numbers unchanged from Wednesday.

The province also reported 378 new cases Thursday: 258 in the Eastern Health region, 49 in the Western Health region, 48 in the Central Health region and 23 in the Labrador-Grenfell Health region.

With 544 reported recoveries, the known active caseload has dropped to 2,510 active cases.

The province has completed 2,091 COVID tests since Wednesday, with a positivity rate of 18.1 per cent.

The Department of Health also announced Thursday it will relax visitor restrictions at long-term care homes and provincial and privately operated care homes.

Effective immediately, patients and residents will be allowed one visitor or support person at the facility.