Newfoundland and Labrador has no confirmed cases of COVID-19 coronavirus.
More test results are coming in as a growing number of people are self-isolating, all of those received to date are negative.
Chief Medical Officer of Health for the province, Dr. Janice Fitzgerald provided another update on coronavirus today in the wake of an advisory to stay away from hospitals, long-term and personal care homes if you have traveled outside the province in the last 14 days.
She told reporters today that organizers of large events should consider COVID-19 in their planning. She calls this the beginning of “social distancing.”
Chief Medical Officer of Health Issues Cautionary Advice
The province’s Chief Medical Officer of Health is now asking recent travelers to refrain from visiting hospitals, long-term care and personal care homes.
Dr. Janice Fitzgerald says elderly residents or patients and those with a weakened immune system or underlying medical conditions are at a higher risk of developing complications from COVID-19.
Anyone who has traveled outside the province in the last 14 days, or who is experiencing cold or flu symptoms is asked to avoid visiting health care facilities until their symptoms disappear.
Those symptoms include fever, cough and difficulty breathing.
People feeling unwell or in self-isolation are reminded to avoid close contact with people with chronic conditions and older adults, don’t have any visitors in your home, stay away from social gathers, work, school or daycare and not take public transit.
Wash your hands frequently for at least 20 seconds and use hand sanitizer if soap is not available.
Cover coughs and sneezes with your arm.
Local Businesses Taking Precautionary Measures in Light of COVID-19
Precautionary measures are being taken at a number of businesses in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Johnson Insurance building on Factory Lane is closed today and employees asked to stay at home as a precautionary measure.
Meanwhile, reports indicate that employees at Verafin are being encouraged to work from home as a precautionary measure.
Verafin, which employs over 500 people, is implementing new initiatives with the objective of stopping the spread of COVID-19. The company says social distancing is part of that and they’re asking employees who can work from home without affecting productivity to do so.
ClearRisk, a company based in St. John’s whose software helps businesses mitigate risks, has joined the list of organizations who have shut their doors and are getting their employees to work from home.
Craig Rowe, CEO of ClearRisk and Chair of NATI, says they have the tools to let their employees work from home with minimal impact on the business. Rowe is encouraging other companies to do the same. According to Rowe if more companies can do what they’ve done it will help lessen the blow on the community.
(Illustration of ultrastructural morphology exhibited by coronaviruses—such as the coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19. Image courtesy CDC.)
This follows a number of cases of people self-isolating including MP Seamus O’Regan and a group of Department of Natural Resources employees who recently attended a mining conference in Toronto where one of the attendees, a person from Ontario, has tested positive for COVID-19.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie Gregoire are also self-isolating after developing cold-like symptoms.
There are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Newfoundland and Labrador to date.
