N.L. hits 1 full week with no new cases of COVID-19

Newfoundland and Labrador has reached one week without any new reported cases of COVID-19.

As of Friday the total number of cases in the province remains at 256, with 207 people having recovered from the virus.

Five people are in hospital — 22 people have been hospitalized over the course of the pandemic — with two in intensive care. In total, 7,134 people have been tested, including 232 in the last 24 hours. 

"The dedication you have shown to this is incredible," said Dr. Janice Fitzgerald, the province's chief medical officer of health, at Friday's daily coronavirus update. "As the weekend approaches please continue to follow the public health measures in place."

Watch the full April 24 update:

As the province marked seven full days without locating new cases of the highly infectious disease, Fitzgerald issued another health order. Effective Monday at noon, employers who bring in workers from out of the country will be required to provide a 14-day isolation plan for those workers upon entering the province.

"This will help us to detect, trace and prevent the spread of imported cases of COVID-19 efficiently and effectively," Fitzgerald said.  

Fitzgerald reminded anyone wondering if it's safe to visit friends that while there has been a week of no new reported cases, COVID-19 has a 14-day incubation period and can still be spread by people who are presymptomatic or who may have very mild symptoms.

The safest bet, she said, is to remain in your bubble, and if that's not possible then to wear a non-medical mask. 

Premier Dwight Ball said the province's new COVID-19 projection models will be released Monday. The government panel will once again be joined by Dr. Proton Rahman, lead of the province's analytics team and a professor of medicine and a clinical researcher at Memorial University's medical school.

As a few other provinces begin to roll out plans to relax some of their health restrictions, Ball said each province is at a different stage of readiness, and Newfoundland and Labrador will discuss its plan only after reviewing Rahman's models on Monday and after a scheduled meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday night.

Ball said his priorities for Friday's meeting are tight border control, COVID-19 testing capacity and protective equipment for front-line health staff when hospitals reopen to elective procedures.

"Just by the very nature of this COVID environment we'll have a greater demand on protective equipment," he said. "Some of the private sector will have to reach into the pool of protective equipment, too, for them to safely conduct their businesses."

Health Minister John Haggie said it's crucial that any plan to begin lifting restrictions is done in phases, to allow the government time to assess any effects of relaxing restrictions. 

"There's no playbook for this, so we have to look at our own context and our own way of life," Haggie said.

Haggie said it will be a balancing act between how many hospital beds are needed to be kept free in case of a recurrence of the virus, and how many will be needed for planned procedures.

"There will be a step, then we'll stop and analyze, and then we'll see what happens to the cases. If we're good we'll go to the next step," he said.

"If at some point we find ourselves in a situation where numbers start to creep up we will have to go backwards. And that is not a failure." 

Misinformation

Haggie issued a warning about misinformation circulating online about potential cures for COVID-19.

"When you hear about people suggesting drinking bleach to deal with COVID-19, there's absolutely no justification for this at all," he said. 

"It is reprehensible. It beggars belief that anyone would do that."

On Thursday President Donald Trump suggested that scientists should investigate whether putting light or disinfectant into the bodies of infected patients would help combat COVID-19. That resulted in doctors and health experts from around the world urging people not to inject disinfectant into their bodies.

On Friday evening Newfoundland and Labrador's health department issued its own news statement telling the public not to consume or inject cleaning products for purposes of treating COVID-19.

"There has been recent speculation and social media activity about whether certain cleaning products may be used as an appropriate treatment for COVID-19. This claim is false and poses a serious and dangerous risk to people," the release from the department said. 

"If consumed or injected into the human body, there is a risk of poisoning and in some cases, death."

Easter window

Potential spread of the virus during Easter weekend, two weeks ago, was a concern for public health officials, but on Friday Haggie said he was happy to announce that the provincial government's warnings against mass gatherings appeared to have worked.

"We are now 14 days out from Good Friday, and about 11 days out from Easter Sunday," he said. "It has obviously paid dividends, and the distancing has been key." 

Daily briefings will be suspended over the weekend with new coronavirus numbers being released through government news releases on Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. Ball said government officials will be made available if there is an unprecedented development over the weekend.

The government of Newfoundland and Labrador requires all travellers to fill out a mandatory declaration form upon arriving in the province:

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