N.L. reports 4 COVID-19 deaths, tied for daily record

Newfoundland and Labrador reported four more deaths from COVID-19 on Wednesday, tying the provincial single-day record.

According to a media release from the provincial Department of Health, all four deaths a man and woman in their 70s and a man and woman over the age of 80 were in the Eastern Health region.

The deaths raise the province's totalto 44.

The number of hospitalizations due to COVID-19 in the province has dropped to 20 down five from Tuesday with nine people in critical care,down two from Tuesday.

A total of 248 new confirmed cases were reported in Newfoundland and Labrador on Wednesday. There are 183 cases in the Eastern Health region, 28 in the Central Health region, 27 in the Western Health region and 10 in the Labrador-GrenfellHealth region.

With 264 new recoveries reported Wednesday, the province's known active caseload has dropped to1,895.

A total of 865 COVID-19 tests have been completed since Tuesday, with apositivity rate of 28.6 per cent,among the highest levels the province has seen during the pandemic. The province has completed 483,786 tests to date.

Thursday's COVID-19 updateis scheduled to be provided during a briefing at 11:30 a.m. NT with Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Janice Fitzgerald, Health Minister John Haggie and Premier Andrew Furey.

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