The province is delaying a move to Step 3 of its reopening plan due to rising numbers of COVID cases in the Atlantic region and a fourth wave across the country.

There are 10 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the province today.

Three of those cases are in the Central Health region and are all related to travel. Two cases are in the Eastern Health region, both of which are under investigation, one case in Western is a previous presumptive positive case, and there are four cases in the Labrador-Grenfell Health region, all of which are contacts of a previous case. There are also two new presumptive positive cases in Labrador-Grenfell Health.

There’s now a total of 49 confirmed cases in the province with one person in hospital due to the virus.

Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Janice Fitzgerald says officials are monitoring the fourth wave closely and may reintroduce certain travel restrictions if necessary.

In the meantime, she says the move to Step 3 of the province’s reopening plan is on hold but will proceed “when it is safe to do so.”