COVID-19 hospitalizations hold steady in N.L. as Kippens nursing home sees outbreak

The number of people in hospital with COVID-19 in Newfoundland and Labrador is steady and the rate of positive tests has dropped, according to numbers released by the Department of Health on Saturday.

Of the 4,401COVID tests done in the province in the past 24 hours, a total of 412 returned a positive result, for a positivity rate of 9.4 per cent, down from the 12.5 per cent reported on Friday.

Of the 412 new cases announced Saturday, 129 are in theEastern Health region, 68 are in Central Health, 85 are in Western Health and118 are in Labrador-Grenfell Health. Twelve of the positive tests were done outside one of the four regional health authorities.

However, the province's Department of Health has advised anyone who is a close contact of a case and has symptoms to assume they are positive for COVID-19, and there have been notable delays in testing, so thenumber of confirmed cases may not represent the true spread of the virus.

Saturday's numbers raise the total active cases in the province to 4,664.

New outbreak in seniors facility

Shaun Lane, owner of Silverwood Manor in Kippens, says 43 staff and residents tested positive in the past week for COVID-19.

According to Western Health on Friday,25 residents and 22 employees have tested positive at the Bay St. George Long-Term Care Centre in nearby StephenvilleCrossing.

Lane called the situation a "perfect storm" of events.

"We certainly had a lot of precautions in place," he said. "We all do the best we can to prepare for these things when they come."

Lane said he's been heartened to see how staff have responded to the situation.

"It's just been amazing," he said.

Extra precaution is being taken inside the facility to ensure the safety of staff and residents, said Lane, and residents are in "good spirits."

Lane said local support has also been strong, with community members pitching in to pick up essentials.

"We're also seeing the community coming together," he said. "So we're really, really happy for that type of support as well."

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