Newfoundlanders and Labradorians will see a further loosening of public health measures this weekend and again on Monday due to the changing COVID situation.
As of 12:01 this Saturday morning, Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Janice Fitzgerald says capacity will increase to 50 per cent for faith-based services where vaccine passports are in place and 25 per cent with no vaccine passports in place.
As of 12:01 Monday morning, a number of other restrictions are being loosened as well, including the resumption in competitive team sports within an organization or team’s regular competitive schedule.
• Formal gatherings such as weddings and funerals and any events operated by a business or organization are limited to 50 per cent of venue or room capacity;
• Informal gatherings are limited to 20 people;
• Restaurants and bars can operate at 50 per cent capacity with a maximum table size of 10 people and physical distancing between patrons seated at adjacent tables. Eating or drinking is only permitted while seated. Masks may only be removed when eating or drinking;
• Dance floors are not yet permitted;
• Performance spaces, bingo halls and cinemas can operate at 50 per cent capacity. Food or drink is permitted provided physical distancing can be maintained between bubbles. Patrons can remove their masks only when seated and actively eating or drinking; and
• Gyms, fitness facilities and arenas can operate at 50 per cent capacity, provided that physical distancing may be maintained.
When it comes to sports, only single games are allowed per day, and no tournaments are permitted at this time.
With the further loosening of restrictions, the Alert Level system put in place when COVID first struck nearly two years ago, and to which most have become familiar, is being abandoned for updated COVID measures, which will be clearly posted on the provincial government’s COVID website.
Two More COVID-Related Deaths
Two more COVD-related deaths are being reported in the province today.
One of the deaths, a woman in her 90s, is in the Central region, the other, a man in his 70s is in the Western Health region.
There are 210 new confirmed cases of the virus in the province since yesterday – 154 in Eastern Health, 26 in Central, 13 in Western Health and 17 in Labrador-Grenfell Health.
There are 23 people in hospital – seven of whom are in critical care.
WIth 247 new recoveries, there are 1,487 active cases in the province.
Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Janice Fitzgerald says over 80 per cent of children aged 5 to 11 in Newfoundland and Labrador have received their first vaccine – that’s the highest percentage in that age group in North America.
She says the epidemiology in Newfoundland and Labrador is good and public health officials are well aware of the mental health impacts of continued restrictions.
She says with children heading into their third week back in school, they haven’t seen any significant increase in lab-confirmed cases of the virus. Hospitalization rates remain steady, and hospitalization rates across the country are on the decline.
