The province’s Chief Medical Officer of Health admits there’s been a bit of a lag in the spread of influenza and other respiratory illness in this province compared to the mainland.

But she cautions NL’s time is coming.

Dr. Janice Fitzgerald says the number of confirmed flu cases so far this year is lower here than in many other areas of the country, but adds that’s not unusual.

“We do lag a little bit behind the rest of Canada, so sometimes it’s a little bit later for us,” she said. “It’s not unusual for us to see flu start to peak getting into the latter half of January.”

“The last couple of years, after the pandemic, the season actually started a little bit earlier than usual, and it looks like this year we’re probably getting back to what looks to be a normal pattern for us.”

Fitzgerald reminds Newfoundlanders and Labradorians to practice the usual measures to prevent against the spread of flu and other respiratory illness, including staying home when sick, wearing a mask in public if you have symptoms and must go out, and covering up coughs and sneezes.

Also, she notes it’s not too late to get the flu vaccine.