1 new case of COVID-19 in N.L., as AstraZeneca clinics launch

Newfoundland and Labrador is reporting one new case of COVID-19 on Thursday, as a large shipment of vaccines makes its way into the hands of doctors and nurses.

The new case is a woman in her 40s in the Eastern Health region, and the source of infection is under investigation, the Department of Health said in a release.

With no new recoveries reported, the province has five active cases of COVID-19, and medical workers have administered 244 tests since Wednesday. Nobody is hospitalized.

Despite announcing new daily vaccination updates this week, the Department of Health hasn't yet provided new data for how many shots were allocated on Wednesday. The department did, however, release a vaccination timeline for eligible groups across the province, showing that the general population will receive at least one dose by mid-July.

Officials reported a mass shipment of doses in the past week:43,780 of them, which represents more than one-third of the 129,060 vaccines that Newfoundland and Labrador has received so far.

A surprise delivery of20,000 AstraZeneca-Oxford doses is included in that number. Authorities are now distributing those doses to the regional health authorities to offer them to anyone between 55 and 64 who wants a vaccine.

Eastern, Centraland Western Health regions are offering clinics at various locations in the coming days.Appointments are required.

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