The province is marking its 21st death related to COVID-19.
The latest death involves a woman in her 60s in the Central Newfoundland region.
There are 480 new confirmed cases being reported in the province today – 209 in the Eastern Health region, 81 in Central Health, 99 in Western Health and 85 in Labrador-Grenfell Health and another six that were tested privately.
There are 4,370 active cases of COVID-19 in the province today.
Changes to Isolation and Testing Protocols
Public Health is implementing a shorter isolation period for people who have COVID-19 or are a close contact.
Effective midnight tonight, the isolation period for someone with the virus, whether they have tested positive or are a close contact with symptoms, is reduced from ten days to seven.
Chief Medical Office of Health, Dr. Janice Fitzgerald provided the latest update today.
Isolation for close contacts who are asymptomatic is now seven days for fully vaccinated household contacts who cannot isolate away from the case and five days for those who can.
For asymptomatic unvaccinated household contacts, the isolation period is now ten days, whether they can isolate away from the positive case or not.
Fitzgerald says the changes were made, in part, due to the number of asymptomatic health care workers, currently in isolation.
Changes have also been announced to testing protocols to help ease some of the strain on health care resources.
Anyone with a positive result on a rapid test no longer needs a PCR test and should consider that they have COVID-19, and follow isolation and contact protocols.
There are exceptions however, as PCR tests should still be booked for those in health care, first responders, the Coast Guard, the Corrections system, day care workers and attendees, vulnerable populations in group housing, and those in long-term care.
A full breakdown of the new changes can be seen below:
- Isolation for someone who has COVID-19 (tested positive or a close contact with symptoms) and fully vaccinated is reduced from 10 days to 7 days
- Isolation for close contacts who do not have symptoms is as follows:
- Fully vaccinated household contacts who cannot isolate away from the case is reduced from 10 days to 7 days;
- Unvaccinated household contacts who cannot isolate away from the case is reduced from 24 days to 10 days;
- Fully vaccinated household contacts who can isolate away from the case and non-household contacts is reduced from 7 days to 5 days; and
- Unvaccinated household contacts who can isolate away from the case and non-household contacts is reduced 14 days to 10 days.
- Household contacts should be tested 72 hours after the person in their household started having symptoms or, if no symptoms, 72 hours after they had their COVID-19 test.
- Non-household contacts should be tested 72 hours after they last had contact with the person who has COVID-19.
Photo via Gov. NL
