No new COVID-19 cases in N.L. as province plans to move to Alert Level 4

With nonew cases of COVID-19 in Newfoundland and Labrador Sunday, the provincial government willmove to Alert Level 4 in its plan for life with COVID-19 on Monday.

Sunday is the third consecutive day with no new cases of COVID-19 in the province.

According to a news release, the total number of cases in the province remainsat 261. By region, there are 243in the Eastern Health region, eightcases in the Central Health region, fourcases in the Western Health region and sixcases in the Labrador-Grenfell Health region.

There are 14active cases remaining in the province, as 244people have recovered from the virus. Active cases are the total cases minus recovered cases and deaths.

By age, there are:

• 22 people with the virus 19 and under.
• 38 people between 20 and 39.
• 39 people between 40 and 49.
• 58 people between 50 and 59.
• 57 people between 60 and 69.
• 47aged 70 and above.

Four people are in hospital, with twoin intensive care. In all, 9,821people have been tested for the virus, up 121from the previous day.

The total number of COVID-19-related deaths in the province remains at three.

• No new COVID-19 cases in N.L. for 6th time in a week

Alert Level 4 set to begin Monday

As the provincemoves down to Alert Level 4, some health orders will be relaxed to allow more social and business activities to begin, while continuing to minimize the chance of a further outbreak.

In a release issued Sunday, the provincial government said the decision to movedown alevel depends on factors such as the number of new cases of the virus, the amount of community transmissionand the capacity of the health-care system.

Newfoundland and Labrador has been holding at Alert Level 5 since government unveiled its plan April 30 to relax public health restrictions.

Beginning Monday, gatheringssuch as funerals, burials and weddings will be allowed, but willbe restricted to no more than 10 people including an officiant. Wakes and visitations are still prohibited.

Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Janice Fitzgerald clarified Thursday that includes "organized gatherings coming together with some very strict rules about how people should be interacting at those gatherings, and not casual gatherings between groups of people."

In the release, the province said expansion of gatherings is not a sign for events like large family gatherings to resume, and people should remain in their chosen double bubble.

Some health-care services and procedures will resume;however, private health-care clinics will remain closed, except for emergency care, and visitation restrictions and orders for health-care and long-term-care homes will remain in place. Information on what services will be available will come from regional health authorities in the coming days.

Limited expansion of child-care centres will also be allowed.

Low-risk businesses, including law and accounting firms and outdoor businesses, like garden centres and landscaping services, can begin to resume operations. Workplace safety training such as first aid can resume as long as physical distancing and proper hygiene methods are practised.

Public municipal parks will be allowed to open for the first time since the pandemic began, but use of park facilities will be restricted. Park playgrounds and splash pads will remain closed, as well as tennis courts and public performance spaces.

Low-risk outdoor recreational activities, including hunting, angling and golf can resume, provided they're done safely. Gyms and fitness facilities, including yoga studios, tennis and squash courts, arenas and dance studios will remain closed in Alert Level 4. Campsites will also remain closed.

Other outdoor activities, such as walking and bike-riding, are encouraged so long as physical distancing can be maintained.

According to the provincial government's website, it will take at least 28 days to determine if it is safe to move to Alert Level 3, meaning the earliest a move can be made is June 8.

The province's daily COVID-19 briefings will continue Monday.

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