Nine new confirmed cases of COVID-19 are being reported in the province today.

Seven are in the Eastern Health region – six of whom are under the age of 20 – with one each in the Central and Western regions.

That leaves 46 active cases in the province – with five people in hospital two of whom are in critical care.

In her last public briefing, Acting Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Rosann Seviour says there are four schools affected among some of the latest cases.

They include Sacred Health Academy in Marystown, Anthony Paddon Elementary in Musgravetown, Heritage Collegiate in Lethbridge and Bayview Academy in St. George’s.

Close contacts have been notified and some children are isolating and being tested.

Seviour says with flu season approaching, details will be released in the near future on flu vaccine clinics.

She says both COVID and flu vaccine clinics will run concurrently through the fall and winter.

She offered a reminder that the measures used to ward against COVID-19, including the use of a mask, are also effective against other respiratory illness.