As COVID-19 cases continue to rise, N.L. makes changes to travel restrictions, suspends Atlantic bubble

Newfoundland and Labrador added 14 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, all in the Central Health region, where cases continue to climb.

Dr. Rosann Seviour, acting chief medical officer of health, told reportersall of the new cases are under investigation, adding there's also a presumptive positive case in the same area.

The province also reported 10 new recoveries, Seviour said. Two are in the Eastern Health region, six are in Central Health and two are in Labrador-Grenfell Health.

The active caseload ticks upward slightly to 159 143 of them in the Central Health region.

There are now four people in hospital due to COVID-19.

"We continue to see community transmission within the central region of this province. This, combined with several other clusters in recent weeks, is putting significant demand on our front-line public health resources for contact tracing," Seviour said.

"When public health capacity is overwhelmed, this is a signal that we need to strengthen our public health measures."

As a result of a continuous rise in COVID cases in N.L., and the epidemiology across the country, the province is making changes to travel restrictions that will come into effect 12:01 a.m. Thursday.

Any traveller who is partially vaccinated that is, someone who has had just one dose will now have to meet the same requirements as those who are unvaccinated. They will be required to isolate themselves for two weeks, but can takea COVID-19 test on days 7through 9 of their isolation period.

If that test is negative, that person can leave isolation.

Watch the full Sept. 28 update:

The province is also suspending the Atlantic bubble, Seviour said. Travellers from the Atlantic provinces will now have to follow the same rules as people arriving from other regions.

"Having an Atlantic bubble was low risk in the summer, when the entire region had similar epidemiology. That is changing, and we are starting to see unfavourable epidemiology across the region as a fourth wave carries on across the country," she said.

There will be no change for travellers crossing the Quebec-Labrador border, according to Seviour. Anyone living in border communities who have not travelled outsidethe region in the past 14 days are still permitted to travel into the province without completing the travel form.

Sevioursaid people are still allowed to travel to N.L., but the changes will reduce the risk of importing COVID-19 and give the province breathing room to take control of the current outbreak on home turf.

Vaccine passport taking shape

After days of reporting daily infections in double digits, the provincial government pleaded with the public Tuesday afternoonto book a vaccine appointment if they haven't done so yet.

Seviour said the emerging evidence on the delta variant indicates one dose of vaccine alone does not provide sufficient protection.

While 80 per cent ofthe province's eligible populationhas had two doses, the delta variant is pushing the threshold forherd immunity higher, to about 90 per cent, she said.

She said the two-dose rate is lacking in the 20- to 39-year-old age bracket, something jurisdictions across Canada are grappling with.

Only 66.4 per cent of people in their 20s are fully vaccinated, while 79.8 per cent have had one dose. People in their 30s have hit a similar mark, with 69.6 per cent fully vaccinated and 81.1 per cent withone dose.

In the face of delta, theprovince continues to developits plan to roll out a vaccine passport, which Premier Andrew Furey confirmed will be mandatory for non-essential activities.

Digital Government MinisterSarah Stoodleycalled the passport "another tool in the toolbox" that will help keep residents safe and businesses open.

It will be a certified record of proof of vaccinationthat will grant access to a business or a venue througha digital QR codeor a physical copy that is printed on paper or a card.

"When the solution is ready, it will take the form of two smartphone apps. One smartphone app for residents, and one for the business community," Stoodley said.

"Any resident who is fully vaccinated or has an approved medical exemption will be provided a COVID-19 vaccination record in the form of a QR code."

For those without internet accessor a printer, Stoodley said, a number will be provided where people can call and request their QR code be sent to them by mail.

Consultations began Tuesday withbusinesses, said Stoodley.

The official launch will be next week, including the name and a full release of the details.

"It's important that when you get this you guard it as you would your MCP card," Stoodley said.

"This is kind of personal.It's important you protect it."

Stoodley said the N.L. apps will keep personal information private, and that noinformation will be saved.

Furey said penalties for businesses that don't comply with the passport are still being contemplated, but "will be in line with other jurisdictions."

Further changes coming

During his opening remarksTuesday, Fureysaidthe province is in talks with unions about making vaccines mandatory for public employees.

"As a government we feel it's our responsibility to protect the people that we serve," he said.

"Most want to have some input in terms of where we're going with this, and what it'll actually look like. The general feeling was very receptive.

"This is not a path we wanted to go down by any stretch, but we do have a responsibilityto the public first and foremost, and that's why we made this decision."

Furey said another media briefing will be held Wednesday with Dr.Proton Rahman, aclinical scientist with Eastern Healthand professor of medicine at Memorial University, to discuss COVID-19 modelling for Newfoundland and Labrador.

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