The last live COVID-19 update before the start of the long weekend began on a high note: eight days straight with no new cases.
The province’s first big holiday hurdle was the Easter weekend, and with no major spike in cases in the two weeks following, the province earned praise from those in the health department.
“It’s the 24th of May, and we likes to get away.”
While the May long weekend is a big travel weekend for many in the province, the Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Janice Fitzgerald, says their advice is to vacation close to home and remain within personal bubbles.
Premier Dwight Ball announced the approval of over 2,000 travel exemption requests for people entering the province since May 4.
Ball also cited the number of people entering the province within the last 24 hours was 217, most of whom he says were arriving home from Alberta.
The minister of health, John Haggie, assures that those entering the province were permitted to do so.
Dr. Fitzgerald says while there are no restrictions in place, they’re asking all residents to vacation close to home.
Without permission from the government, non-residents of this province are not allowed to enter NL, but nothing prevents locals from travelling outside the province.
Dr. Janice Fitzgerald says the more and the further you move, especially to places with a greater prevalence of COVID-19, the more likely you are to bring it back to Newfoundland and Labrador.
