2 more die from COVID-19 in N.L. as hospitalizations jump to 25

Two more people died from COVID-19 over the weekend, raising Newfoundland and Labrador's total since the beginning of the pandemicto 68.

One wasa woman in her 70s in the Eastern Health region and the other was a woman in her 60s in the Central Health region.

The notice comes the same day the province's Health Department reportedCOVID-19 hospitalizations in Newfoundland and Labradorhave jumped to their highest point in nearly a month.

There are now 25 people hospitalized due to the virus, five of them in critical care, according to the department.The number of hospitalizations is up nine from the province's last update, on Friday.

The 25 hospitalizations due to COVID-19 are just shy of the provincial record, set Feb. 13, when 26 people were hospitalized.

Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Janice Fitzgerald has said hospitalizations area key metric the province is watching, as it moves to lift public health restrictions on March 14.

A total of 1,244 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed since Friday 469 on Saturday, 332 on Sunday and 443 on Monday.

Of Monday's new cases, 403 are in the Eastern Health region, 12 are in the Central Health region, 26 are in the Western Health region and two are in the Labrador-Grenfell Health region.

The province also reported 232new COVID-19recoveries since Sunday, leaving 3,216known active cases.

A total of 521,227COVID-19 tests have now been completed in Newfoundland and Labrador, including 3,964tests since Friday, with a positivity rate of 31.4 per cent.

The next update on COVID-19 cases is scheduled forWednesday.

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