COVID-19 hospitalizations spike in N.L., with 4 new deaths
CBC News | Posted: July 20, 2022 3:20 PM | Last Updated: July 20, 2022
There are 14 people in hospital due to the coronavirus, up from 3 last week, in province's weekly update
Newfoundland and Labrador is reporting four new COVID-19 deaths and a spike in hospitalizations in the provincial Health Department's weekly update.
Hospitalizations have risen to 14, up 11 from last week, with three people in critical care. There are six hospitalizations each in the Eastern and Western Health regions and two in the Central Health area.
At a briefing last week, provincial Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Janice Fitzgerald said she expected an increase in hospitalizations as Omicron subvariant BA.5 variant circulates around the globe.
One of the deaths in the past week was in the Eastern Health region, two were in the Central Health region and one was in the Western Health area. Three of the people who died were 80 years old or older, while the other person was in their 60s. The deaths raise the province's total to 202 since March 2020, with eight reported so far in July.
The province is also reporting 443 new COVID-19 cases in the past seven days: 62 on Thursday, 59 on Friday, 76 on Saturday, 38 on Sunday, 42 on Monday, 60 on Tuesday and 106 on Wednesday.
The province's numbers don't represent the true spread of COVID-19 in Newfoundland and Labrador, though, since the Health Department restricts PCR testing done by health authorities and the daily case counts don't include people testing positive on rapid tests they perform themselves.
Starting Wednesday, people 50 and older in the province can get a second COVID-19 booster shot. Residents of long-term care or congregate living facilities and people who identify as Indigenous or who live in remote or rural communities are also eligible.