N.L.'s active COVID-19 caseload ticks up to 45 with a dozen new cases

Newfoundland and Labrador is reporting a dozen new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, with much of the island part of the province preparing for the arrival of Hurricane Larry.

In a media release Friday afternoon, the Department of Health said that of the new cases, nine are in the Eastern Health region: a man and three women between 20 and 39 years old, two of which are related to travel within Canada, with the other two under investigation.

One case, a woman in her 40s, is a contact of a previous case. There is also one man in his 50s, related to travel within Canada, and two women in their 50s, with the source under investigation. There is alsoa man in his 60s, a contact of a previously known case.

The rest of the cases are in the Labrador-Grenfell Health region and are all contacts of previously known cases: a male under 20 years old, a man in his 50s and a woman over 70.

With seven new recoveries three in Eastern Health and four in Western Health the province's active caseload ticks up to 45.

To date, 279,964 tests have been administered, an increase of 1,963 since the last update, on Wednesday.

The department said the investigation into three clusters continues. All 15 cases in a Labrador-Grenfell cluster and seven cases in a Western Health cluster are in isolation, says the department, with the contact tracing underway and the sources of the clusters under investigation.

Contact tracing in a cluster in the Eastern Health region identified Aug. 18, comprising five cases, has been finished, with the source still under investigation. The Health Department says the risk to the public is low.

As part of the investigation into the Eastern Health cluster, the department introduced several new advisories of potential exposures, all in St. John's:

• Celtic Hearth, 300 Water St., on Sept. 2 from 11a.m. to noon.
• Winners 60 Aberdeen Ave., on Sept.2 from 3p.m. to 4p.m.
• Blue on Water, 319 Water St., on Sept. 2 from 2:30 p.m. to 4p.m.
• Staples, 65 Kelsey Dr., on Sept. 3 from 11a.m. to noon.
• Canadian Tire, 50 Kelsey Dr., on Sept. 3 from 11a.m. to noon.
• Liquor Store, 43 Kelsey Dr., on Sept. 3 from 11a.m. to noon.
• Yellow Belly Brewery & Public House, 288 Water St., on Saturdayfrom noonto 1 p.m.
• Tim Hortons, 278 Torbay Rd., on Mondayfrom noonto 1 p.m.
• Bagel Caf, 246 Duckworth St., on Tuesdayfrom 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
• Model Citizens, 245 Duckworth St., on Tuesdayfrom 11:30 a.m. to noon.
• Coleman's, 370 Newfoundland Dr., on Tuesday from 12:30 p.m. to 1p.m.

The Department of Health says anyone who visited these locations should get tested. Anyone who hassymptoms of COVID-19 needstoself-isolate until 24 hours after their symptoms resolve and they receive a negative test result. People who visited the locations but don'thave symptoms of COVID-19 are not required to self-isolate while awaiting test results, but should monitor themselves for symptoms and self-isolate if any symptoms develop.

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