N.L. marks 4 new cases of COVID-19, advisory issued for Starbucks in Paradise

Newfoundland and Labrador is reporting four new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, all related to travel.

According to a media release from the Department of Health, the first case is a woman in her 60s in the Labrador-Grenfell Health region, related to travelwithin Canada. The other three cases arein the Eastern Health region and are related to international travel: a male and female under 20 years old and a woman between 20 and 39 years old.

The Health Department said, as part of an investigation into a case in the Eastern Health region, anyone who visited the Starbucks on Topsail Road in Paradise on Wednesday between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. should arrange testing.

The restaurant has been notified, said the Department of Health.

"People who visited this location during this time are advised to seek testing, in keeping with public notifications for possible exposure. This does not apply to patrons who only used the drive-thru," reads Friday's media release.

"People who visited this location and currently have symptoms of COVID-19 are required to isolate until 24 hours after their symptoms resolve and they receive a negative test result. People who visited the restaurant and do not currently have symptoms of COVID-19 are not required to isolate until they receive a negative test result. While awaiting their test result, they should monitor for symptoms and isolate should any symptoms develop."

To arrange testing, people can completethe online self-assessment and referral toolorcall811.

Crew member recovers

Friday's announcement also comes with twonew recoveries, one in Central Health and one in Eastern Health. The recovery in Eastern Health is a crew member who was aboard a Portuguesefishing vessel that was anchored in Conception Bay earlier this summer.

The province has seven active cases.

One person remains in hospital:a crew member who was aboard a vessel that was anchored in Bay Bulls.

A total of 265,419 COVID-19 tests have now been administered in Newfoundland and Labrador, up 421 since Wednesday's update.

As of Wednesday, over 720,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine had been administered in the province, according to the provincial government's COVID-19 website. Over 65 per cent of the eligible population has received two doses of vaccine, with close to 85 per cent of people having receivedat least one.

The province's high vaccination rate is a key factor in the province's return-to-school plan, which was announced by Premier Andrew Furey and Education Minister Tom Osborne on Thursday.

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