The number of people hospitalized in Newfoundland and Labrador because of COVID-19 rose to 20 on Friday, with four of them in critical care.

The latest numbers came in a press release sent by Public Health.

In the release, the province reported 392 new confirmed cases of the virus Friday — the highest since mid January. The new case count is not considered an accurate reflection of the prevalence of COVID-19 in the province, however, because Public Health has limited testing criteria.

But the number of tests completed since Thursday rose as well, to 1,602, and a test positivity rate of 24 per cent.

Of the new cases, 276 are in the Eastern Health region, 62 are in Central Health, 48 in Western Health and 6 in the Labrador-Grenfell Health area.

Those new cases are offset by 222 recoveries, leaving a total of 2,071 known active cases of COVID-19 in the province.

The update is the last the province will provide this week, ahead of another slackening of public health restrictions on Monday.

Those will include an increase in the number of people allowed at family gatherings, formal gatherings, religious ceremonies and public places, like gyms, restaurants and bars.

The province plans to lift all restrictions — including masking requirements — by March 14.