COVID-19 pandemic in Newfoundland and Labrador

The COVID-19 pandemic in Newfoundland and Labrador is an ongoing viral pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a novel infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). As of November 20, 2020, there have been 308 cases confirmed in Newfoundland and Labrador, with 294 recoveries and 4 deaths. As of that date, 57,944 people have been tested in total.[2]

COVID-19 pandemic in Newfoundland and Labrador
DiseaseCOVID-19
Virus strainSARS-CoV-2
LocationNewfoundland and Labrador, Canada
First outbreakWuhan, Hubei, China
Arrival dateMarch 14, 2020[1]
(10 months and 3 weeks)
Confirmed cases390
Active cases3
Recovered364
Deaths
4
Fatality rate1.03%
Government website
Government of Newfoundland and Labrador

On March 14, a presumptive case was announced in the province.[3] By March 25, the number of cases had risen to 67, 44 of them associated with an outbreak at a funeral home, which occurred between March 15 and 17.[4][5]

On July 3, the province joined three other provinces to create an Atlantic Bubble, allowing free travel amongst the member provinces and restricting access to travellers from outside provinces. On August 17, 2020, pursuant to section 28 of the Public Health Protection and Promotion Act, Chief Medical Officer Dr. Janice Fitzgerald, announced that non-medical masks will be mandatory for people in indoor public spaces, starting August 24.

Timeline

March 2020
  • On March 14, a presumptive case was announced in the province.[1]
  • On March 16, the Newfoundland and Labrador English School District announced suspension of in-person classes for K-12 students in the province.[6]
  • On March 24, a woman was arrested in Corner Brook for violating public health emergency orders by refusing to stay at home after she returned from a trip outside the province.[7]
  • By March 25, the number of cases had risen to 67, 44 of them associated with an outbreak at a funeral home, which occurred between March 15 and 17.[8][9]

April 2020
  • As of April 24, 2020, there have been 256 cases confirmed in Newfoundland and Labrador, with 207 recoveries and 3 deaths. As of that date, 7,134 people have been tested in total.[10]
  • By April 30, 2020, there were 258 total cases, with 0 new cases, 225 recoveries, 4 hospitalizations with 2 in critical condition, and 3 deaths.[11]

May 2020
  • May 5, 2020: The House of Assembly passes Bill 38 amending the Public Health Protection and Promotion Act, authorizing police officers to stop vehicles, enter any premises, and detain people and take them to the border if they are not complying with public health measures.[12][13][14]
  • May 20, a resident of Nova Scotia who was barred from attending her mother's funeral in Newfoundland gave notice to the province of her intent to sue in Newfoundland and Labrador Supreme Court because she felt that her rights under Section 6 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms had been violated, and that provinces cannot enforce bans because they have no enumerated powers to do so.[15]
  • May 11, 2020: Newfoundland and Labrador entered public health alert level four.
  • May 28, 2020: Newfoundland and Labrador reports one new case of COVID-19, ending the province's 20-day streak of zero new cases.[16]

June 2020
  • June 8, 2020: Newfoundland and Labrador entered public health alert level 3. Some businesses reopened and 20% of provincial government workers returned to their physical workplaces.
  • June 10, 2020: In June 2020, PEI Premier Dennis King suggested that travel between provinces in the Atlantic region might be allowed, as early as the beginning of July. King claimed there was an agreement to this end, in a discussion held on June 10 between the Premiers. When asked by the CBC, the other Premiers expressed caution on an "Atlantic bubble."[17]
  • June 24, 2020: Premier Dwight Ball announced that there would be an "Atlantic Bubble" where travellers from the Atlantic provinces would not be required to self isolate for 14 days.
  • June 25, 2020: Newfoundland and Labrador entered public health alert level 2. Bars, places of worship, and fitness centers reopen.[18]

July 2020
  • July 3, 2020: "Atlantic Bubble" is opened. Travel between the four Atlantic Canadian provinces is now possible without undergoing a 14-day self-isolation period. The total number of cases in the province remains at 261, with no active cases for 16 days and no new cases for 36 days. 18,356 people had been tested for the virus as of this date.[19][20][21]
  • July 25, 2020: One new case is reported by the provincial health authorities report one new case of the virus which brings up the active case tally to 4 cases.[22]

August 2020
  • August 17, 2020: Pursuant to section 28 of the Public Health Protection and Promotion Act, Chief Medical Officer Dr. Janice Fitzgerald, announced that non-medical masks will be mandatory for people in indoor public spaces, starting August 24. The rule applies to people aged five and older. On the same day, the Newfoundland and Labrador English School District unveiled its back-to-school plan for K-12 students.[23]

October 2020
  • October 3, 2020: The Department of Health and Community Services announces that a man in the Western Health region died from COVID-19 on October 1 while in self-isolation. The man arrived in Canada from Central Africa on September 29. The man was the fourth COVID-19 death in the province. On this date, the province had four active cases of COVID-19, while 269 people had recovered from the virus.

November 2020
  • November 18, 2020: The Department of Health and Community Services announces an outbreak at Blue Crest Cottages in Grand Bank. On November 19, 2020, the Department of Health and Community Services announced that four cases identified in Grand Bank are connected.[24]
  • November 23, 2020: Premier Andrew Furey announced that Newfoundland and Labrador is withdrawing from the Atlantic bubble for a two-week period and that anyone arriving in the province from within the Maritimes will have to self-isolate for 14 days.[25]
  • November 23, 2020: Education Minister Tom Osborne announced that a student at Elwood Elementary in Deer Lake tested positive for COVID-19, the first instance of a case within the Newfoundland and Labrador school system. Osborne announced that Elwood Elementary would close for the next two days.[26]

December 2020
  • By December 4, 2020, the province's active caseload was 27. The total number of recoveries since March was then 312. Newfoundland and Labrador's total number of cases was 343, with 63,839 people having been tested.[27]
  • December 5, 2020: A cluster is identified in Harbour Breton after three people test positive in that community. Out of an abundance of caution, classes were suspended at St. Joseph's Elementary and King Academy on December 7.[28][29] A mobile testing clinic was set up in the community with public health encouraging all residents to get tested.[30]
  • December 16, 2020: The first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech) in Newfoundland and Labrador are administered in St. John's.

January 2021

Impact

The Liberal Party delayed its leadership election from May to August as a result of the pandemic.[31]

References
  1. "Newfoundland and Labrador announces 1st presumptive case of new coronavirus". Global News. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  2. "COVID-19 Information". COVID-19. Archived from the original on March 27, 2020. Retrieved March 27, 2020.
  3. Smyth, Jeff. "First Presumptive Case of COVID-19 Identified in NL". VOCM. Archived from the original on September 24, 2020. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
  4. Flanagan, Ryan (March 25, 2020). "N.L. announces 32 new COVID-19 cases; woman arrested for disobeying isolation order". CTV News. BellMedia. CTV News Atlantic. Archived from the original on March 26, 2020. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  5. McKenzie-Sutter, Holly (April 5, 2020). "Anxiety grows in N.L. as 75 per cent of COVID-19 cases traced to funeral home". CTV News. CTV News. Archived from the original on April 11, 2020. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
  6. "Newfoundland and Labrador COVID-19-related cancellations and postponements". www.thetelegram.com. March 13, 2020. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  7. "Newfoundland woman arrested for refusing to self isolate after talking to police". globalnews.ca. March 25, 2020. Archived from the original on April 21, 2020. Retrieved April 29, 2020.
  8. Flanagan, Ryan (March 25, 2020). "N.L. announces 32 new COVID-19 cases; woman arrested for disobeying isolation order". CTV News. BellMedia. CTV News Atlantic. Archived from the original on March 26, 2020. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  9. McKenzie-Sutter, Holly (April 5, 2020). "Anxiety grows in N.L. as 75 per cent of COVID-19 cases traced to funeral home". CTV News. CTV News. Archived from the original on April 11, 2020. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
  10. "COVID-19 Information". COVID-19. Archived from the original on March 27, 2020. Retrieved March 27, 2020.
  11. "Covid-19 Newfoundland and Labrador - HUB". covid-19-newfoundland-and-labrador-gnl.hub.arcgis.com. Archived from the original on April 30, 2020. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  12. "Police cannot enter Newfoundland and Labrador homes without warrant under Bill 38: Haggie". Archived from the original on June 6, 2020. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
  13. "Police in N.L. now have sweeping powers to enforce pandemic public health orders". Archived from the original on June 3, 2020. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
  14. "Authorities can't enter private property without a warrant, but this defence lawyer still has concerns - CBC News". CBC. May 7, 2020. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  15. Fine, Sean (May 20, 2020). "Newfoundland faces court challenge to ban on non-essential travel from outside province". The Globe and Mail Inc. Archived from the original on August 9, 2020. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
  16. "1st new N.L. case of COVID-19 in 20 days linked to travel - CBC News". CBC. May 28, 2020. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  17. Sam Juric; Wayne Thibodeau (June 11, 2020). "Atlantic premiers hesitant to commit to regional travel bubble". CBC News. Charlottetown, PEI: Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on June 12, 2020. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
  18. "Public Advisory: Newfoundland and Labrador to Enter Alert Level 2 – News Releases". www.gov.nl.ca. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  19. "Another day, another zero: COVID-19 streak continues on 1st day of Atlantic bubble". CBC. July 3, 2020.
  20. "Here's what you'll need to do to enter each province in the Atlantic bubble". Global News. Archived from the original on August 2, 2020. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
  21. "Atlantic travel bubble coming July 3". www.thechronicleherald.ca. Archived from the original on June 27, 2020. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
  22. "Newfoundland and Labrador is reporting a new case of COVID-19". Global News. July 26, 2020. Archived from the original on July 31, 2020. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
  23. "Masks to be mandatory indoors in public starting Aug. 24 in N.L. - CBC News". CBC. August 17, 2020. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  31. "Newfoundland and Labrador Liberal leadership race continues amid COVID-19 pandemic". www.thetelegram.com. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
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