In-person voting in the election is cancelled as the province turns back the clock and reverts to Alert Level 5, the most restrictive of Public’s Health’s alert levels, to try to contain a new variant of the COVID virus now confirmed in Newfoundland and Labrador.
All in-person voting in Newfoundland and Labrador is now cancelled and will not be rescheduled.
Today would have been election day in the province.
Chief Electoral Officer Bruce Chaulk, in a statement following an emergency COVID briefing held last night, says the election will shift exclusively to voting by mail through Special Ballots.
The deadline to apply for Special Ballots for the election has been extended to Monday, February 15 at 8:00 p.m.
Completed voting kits must be returned to Elections NL on or before Monday, March 1. Anyone requiring assistance with the application process is encouraged to call the toll free number 1-877-729-7987 or the local number 729-0789.
CMOH Stresses Swift Action Against New Variant
The B117 variant, first detected in the United Kingdom, is far more infectious and is believed to be 30 per cent more infectious than other variants. It’s already circled the globe and has spread to more than 50 countries.
The metro region experienced a sudden surge in cases over the last week, with more than 260 active cases.
There were 50 new confirmed cases in the province yesterday, most of which were in the Eastern Health region.
Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Janice Fitzgerald says if not controlled, it becomes the dominant strain within weeks of its appearance.
She says “our greatest ally is speed and we therefore have to take quick and decisive action to reduce the spread of this variant.”
That will allow Public Health officials to plan their response and take action. The situation will be re-evaluated in two weeks.