The Minister of Health says Newfoundland and Labrador has managed COVID-19 as well or better than New Zealand. The island country implemented tough measures to crush out the virus, and is seen as an exemplary model.
There are no known cases of the virus in this province, although John Haggie is not yet ready to call us COVID-free.
The Minister of Health says he knows of no deaths of anyone from the cardiac waitlist caused by the COVID interruption. Haggie was responding to a question from Opposition Leader Ches Crosbie in the Legislature yesterday.
Thousands of medical actions including coronary procedures were postponed because of the COVID interruption. Haggie says there have not been any deaths from the cardiac waitlist as of mid-May.
Crosbie does not dispute the New Zealand comparison, but would prefer to see Newfoundland and Labrador at least move toward an Atlantic bubble.
The Maritimes are a few weeks away from taking down the regional barriers, and Crosbie doesn’t want to see this province left out.