ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — Another 23 cases of COVID-19 infection were reported Wednesday as Health Minister John Haggie extended the public-health state of emergency for another two weeks.
The orders have to be renewed regularly, and Haggie was quick to point out it will be months before anything is likely to change.
All of the new positive results are in the Eastern Health region, which makes a regional total of 166. The rest are spread out over the Central, Western and Labrador-Grenfell regions, which have seen minimal change over several days.
The total for the province is 175. Of those people, 15 are in hospital — three of them in intensive care — and 10 have recovered.
For the first time Wednesday, chief medical officer Dr. Janice Fitzgerald broke down the number of tests that have been done for each health region: Eastern, 2,108; Western, 289; Central, 218; and Labrador-Grenfell, 201.
Supply issues
Premier Dwight Ball said Wednesday he’s not aware of any supply issues with regard to the public’s needs. Food retailers say they are well stocked and the supply chain is intact.
The same can’t be said for personal protective equipment (PPE) for essential workers.
Haggie admitted there has been a worldwide scramble to obtain limited supplies of masks and other essentials.
“There is a whole saga behind the scenes of inventory that doesn’t exist, of orders that disappear and, quite frankly, of deliveries being purchased from underneath us at the plane by other jurisdictions outside of Canada.”
There are a lot of “moving parts” to securing a sufficient supply of PPE, he said, and that includes repurposing manufacturing operations both inside and outside the province to supply them.
Haggie said there are currently 379 health-care workers across the province who are either in self-quarantine or are recuperating from COVID-19.
Many of those staying home as a precaution are due to return to work this week.
Vulnerable groups
Haggie said various departments are working with organizations like The Gathering Place that help people who have fallen through the cracks by providing meals and support.
He said he just recently gave funding to The Gathering Place, but admitted reaching their clients is not easy.
“It is difficult with people who have challenges to get them to appreciate some of the constraints that Dr. Fitzgerald and the current situation have had to place on us, and obviously it’s going to take a little bit of sympathy and compassion, I think, to work through some of those difficulties."
Fitzgerald, meanwhile, seemed to soften her stance when it comes to members of the public wearing masks, saying she doesn’t see any harm in it.
But she emphasized proper medical masks should only be worn by people who have the disease and are around others.
“Homemade ones may not offer that same protection, especially if they don’t fit well,” she warned.
“There really is nothing that would replace careful hand-washing, with soap and water, or sanitizers — don’t touch your face, especially nose, mouth and eyes, and (keep) social distancing.”
In other developments Wednesday:
- The province still hasn’t made any decisions about the lobster fishery, which is set to open this month.
- The Nunatsiavut government has maintained its 14-day self-isolation rule for anyone visiting Inuit areas in Labrador, such as Nain. Non-essential visitors must quarantine in Happy Valley-Goose Bay first.
Peter Jackson is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter covering health care for The Telegram.
