Officials in the province are anticipating a rise in COVID cases over the next few days and throughout the holidays, as the Omicron variant makes its way through Newfoundland and Labrador.

More presumptive cases of the Omicron variant were reported at Friday’s live briefing, with Central Health expecting their first confirmed positive case of the variant once lab results come back.

With the highly transmissible nature of Omicron, combined with looser restrictions than last year, Dr. Janice Fitzgerald expects the number of cases to rise, much as it did last holiday season.

She says while case numbers will rise, people know what needs to be done to keep the virus under control.

She says getting tested, staying home when sick, and limiting your contacts is very important to navigating the next few weeks.