The Health Minister says based on current public health expertise the province has the broadest testing criteria for COVID-19.
This, after Dr. Michael Jong, a doctor in the Labrador-Grenfell Health region who came out of retirement to help combat the virus, suggested everyone entering isolated communities on the north coast of Labrador should be tested.
Minister John Haggie says they’re happy to change the criteria should the experts advise it.
He says right now, sentinel surveillance only occurs in relation to those returning from Kearl Lake, Alberta where there is a COVID-19 outbreak. That’s because there is a very high probability of the virus being spread through workers coming back from that site.
(Photo via Flickr through Creative Commons.)
Premier Dwight Ball adds there are mechanisms in place limiting the number of people entering those areas.
Meanwhile, Ball says tight border control was at the top of his priorities entering the meeting with the Prime Minister and other Premiers across the country yesterday.
Ball says aside from border control, testing kits and PPE are also of high importance.
He says we need to ensure we have the right testing capacity should another flare up occur and PPE, by the nature of COVID-19, will be used more heavily in things like elective surgeries.
