Newfoundland and Labrador has recorded its first case of influenza this year.

That’s according to Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Janice Fitzgerald.

By comparison, according to weekly reporting documents from the province, this time last year we had recorded over 450 cases of influenza and five deaths related to that illness.

Cases of influenza quickly dropped off following the initial COVID shutdown.

Fitzgerald says the downward trend has been seen in other similar diseases too.

She explains that there have been declines in other respiratory diseases because the measures that work for COVID work for those viruses as well.