The provincial government is releasing updated projection models on how COVID-19 could impact the province, this afternoon.
Dr. Proton Rahman—a clinical scientist and Professor of Medicine at Memorial University—will join Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Janice Fitzgerald, Premier Dwight Ball, and Health Minister John Haggie again today to lay out updated projection models.
(Photo via Flickr through Creative Commons.)
On April 8, Dr. Rahman shared numbers on the potential impact of COVID-19 on the province’s healthcare system, should public health measures not be taken seriously. They showed that it would not take much to overwhelm existing healthcare resources.
The so-called “funeral home cluster,” which accounted for the vast majority of all known cases of the virus in Newfoundland and Labrador at the time, provided some challenges in deciphering the numbers.
At the time, government officials were extremely concerned about gatherings over the Easter weekend. However, only two new cases, both in the Eastern Health region, were announced over the weekend after a week straight of negative results. It has now been two weeks since Easter.
The models are expected to show a better sense of if and when public health measures may be lifted. Health Minister John Haggie indicated that things are looking more optimistic.
The total number of cases in the province is 258 with 36 active.
As of Sunday, five people are in hospital, two of those are in ICU. 219 people have now recovered.
Today’s COVID-19 update is coming at 2 p.m. NT, and 1:30 in most of Labrador. VOCM News will carry it live.
