The provincial government is introducing new restrictions as a precaution against the fast-spreading omicron variant of COVID-19.
Areas of Central Newfoundland will move to Alert Level 3 as of midnight Sunday, where government says there is a concerning amount of spread. That includes Badger, Gander, Grand Falls-Windsor and Twillingate, with a more specific breakdown on the government’s COVID website.
The rest of the province remains in Level 2.
As well, all public schools will close for Christmas after Monday, two days ahead of schedule as a precaution.
Students are asked to retrieve essential supplies on Monday, with a return to school still scheduled for Jan. 4th.
Also, vaccine appointments for kids scheduled from Monday to Wednesday this week will go ahead at schools at the scheduled time.
Meanwhile, there are new travel restrictions as of 3 p.m. on Tuesday, requiring five days of isolation upon arrival.
The news was announced during an impromptu and rare Sunday afternoon briefing attended by Premier Andrew Furey, Health Minister John Haggie, Education Minister Tom Osborne and Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Janice Fitzgerald, her voice cracking with emotion as she announced the new measures.
Officials hope they will help stem the spread of the most transmissible variant of COVID to date.
To that end, there are now nine confirmed and 34 presumptive cases of omicron in the province, with a total of 61 new cases of COVID reported on Sunday.
As a result, Western Health is urging testing for anyone who visited the following places at the times indicated:
- Wing’n It, 50 Bennett Ave, Deer Lake
December 4, 2021, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. - Women’s Event held at Deer Lake Motel (private dining area)
December 6, 2021, from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. - Deer Lake Motel Banquet Room, 15 Trans-Canada Hwy, Deer Lake
December 10, 2021, from 7:00 to 9:30 p.m. - A & W, 8 Commerce Street, Deer Lake,
December 10, 2021, from 5:30 to 6:00 p.m. - Hew and Draw, 55 West Street, Corner Brook
December 10, 2021, from 6:45 to 9:00 p.m.
December 11, 2021, from 8:30 to 10:00 p.m.
Despite the rising caseload, Fitzgerald said there is no one in hospital with the virus.
