ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — Health officials in Newfoundland and Labrador are reporting the province's 46th death from COVID-19, as bars, lounges and movie theatres reopen after more than a month.
Officials today moved the province into "modified Alert Level 3," allowing households to maintain 20 close contacts and restaurants to open for in-person dining at half capacity, with a maximum of 10 people at each table.
The new rules come after officials imposed Alert Level 4 restrictions on Dec. 23, shutting bars, lounges and bingo halls, as the Omicron variant of the novel coronavirus drove record daily infection numbers.
Since then, 28 people in the province have died from the disease.
Officials said in a news release today there are 22 people hospitalized because of COVID-19, including six in critical care.
They say there are 166 new cases in the province, with 17 per cent of tests completed since Sunday yielding a positive result.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 7, 2022.
The Canadian Press