N.L. reports no new cases of COVID-19 for 1st time in over 2 weeks

Newfoundland and Labrador is reporting no new cases of COVID-19on Tuesday, the first daily zero the province has notched since April 12.

There have also been four more recoveries, all in the Eastern Health region, according to a Department of Health media release.

N.L. now has 24 active cases, withone person in hospital due to the virus.

A case reported Friday in the Western Health region remains under investigation, said the Health Department.

As of Monday the province had received187,880 doses of COVID-19 vaccine. As of Sunday, 164,784 doses had been administered, with155,308 people having receivedtheir first shot just over 33 per cent of the eligible population.

Another 21,170 doses are expected to arrive this week.

On Tuesday the province sent nine health-care professionals to Ontario to aid in the pandemic response. They are expected to begin work on Wednesday as Ontario continues to struggle through a third wave of the coronavirus.

To date, 132,113people have been tested for the virus in Newfoundland and Labrador, including 243 since Monday's update.

No vaccine for Wabush mine workers

There is some confusion and disappointment for some 300 Tacora Resources employees at its Wabush mine site.

In a memo obtained by CBC News on Monday, the company told its employees that Newfoundland and Labrador public health officials initially said mine workers qualify as essential workers and thus could now get the vaccine.

Butit turns outthat's not the case.

"We have since learned that Labrador-Grenfell Health does not deem mining industry workers essential within priority group 2,"reads the memo sent to Tacora Resources employees.

The provincial government said it wants to give workers who had to show up to work during Alert Level 5 and interacted with the public like grocery store clerks or are essential like hydro or water plant employees earlier access to the vaccine.

The memo says the company believes its workers are essential and should be vaccinated now but any Tacora Resources employee who had a vaccination appointment booked should cancel it.

In response to questions from CBC News, a spokesperson for Labrador-Grenfell Health acknowledged the health authority was "made aware of a misunderstanding by Tacora resources last week,"but doesn't address it further, including whether it was in fact, the provincial Health Department that first indicated the company's300 workers could get vaccinated under Phase 2.

It's not known how many appointments were booked by employees of Tacora Resources, according to the spokesperson.

However, all that is required for each vaccination appointment is a person's MCP card. While people are asked about their eligibility within one of the priority groups, no proof is required.

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