N.L. reaches new record high of 25 COVID-19 hospitalizations

Newfoundland and Labrador hita new COVID-19 record on Tuesday, as the number of people hospitalized because of the virus reached 25.

That's the highest number at one time since the pandemic began.

A total of 11 of those patientsare in critical care, according to a news release from the province's Department of Health.

The previous record for hospitalizations was 23, set on Jan. 30.

Public Health also reported 179 new confirmed cases of the virus on Tuesday 115 cases in the Eastern Health region, 35 in the Central Health region, 22 in the Western Health region and seven cases in the Labrador-Grenfell region.

A total of 385 new recoveries brings the number of known active cases to 1,915 amid reduced COVID-19 testing the first time that number has dropped below 2,000 since Dec. 31.

The province completed 1,460 COVID-19 tests in the past 24 hours for a test positivity rate of 12.2 per cent, though testing has dropped due to changes in public health guidance which include telling anyone who is a close contact of a previously known case and is showing symptoms of the virus to assume they are positive.

A test is not needed to confirm the result.

The province has completed a total of 482,921 tests since March 2020.

Wednesday's COVID-19 update will also come via news release ahead of a live briefing scheduled for Thursday afternoon.

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