Much of the Bay St. George region has moved to Alert Level 4 due to an outbreak of COVID-19 in the area.
Communities in the St. George’s-Stephenville-Port au Port area on the west side of the Trans Canada Highway, as well as towns along Routes 460, 461, 462, 463 and 490, entered Alert Level 4 as of 4 p.m. Sunday.
In an unscheduled briefing Sunday afternoon, Medical Officer of Health Dr. Rosann Seviour announced there are 11 confirmed positive and three presumptive positive cases related to the outbreak. Five of those cases are linked to schools in the area.
As part of their work, Public Health is asking anyone who visited Dominion and Walmart in Stephenville at the following times to arrange testing:
Dominion on Wednesday, May 26 between 4:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
Walmart on Wednesday, May 26 between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.
In total, seven new cases were reported in the province on Sunday, with four in Western, one in Central and two in the Eastern region. The latter two cases are linked to the Central cluster and are part of a previous advisory involving the Subway location on Hamlyn Road in St. John’s.
Meanwhile, there are a total of 63 confirmed positive cases related to the Central cluster and one probable case.
After three recoveries, there are 104 active cases in the province with three people in hospital.
Most Western Schools Remain Open
Meanwhile, the English school district has decided it will be school-as-usual on Monday for all except Stephenville Primary.
That’s despite the move to Alert Level 4 in the St. George’s-Port au Port-Stephenville area.
In a statement to media after Sunday’s briefing, education officials said schools will be open for in-class instruction on Monday in accordance with recommendations from Public Health.
Classes will remain suspended at Stephenville Primary as some staff and students await results of testing conducted over the weekend.
The English School District says an update on the situation is anticipated Monday afternoon.
Western Health is urging anyone in Stephenville and the Kippens area, especially those aged 12 to 30, to get tested for COVID-19 whether or not they are symptomatic.
The health authority says the measure is being taken as a precaution to see if there has been community spread in the area.
As well, Western Health is encouraging anyone 12 years and older to get their vaccine.
Public Health will be going into junior high and high schools to give students their shots between June 1 and June 19, but have said that won’t include kids 12 and older in elementary schools.
