With 10 new COVID-19 deaths, N.L. marks largest single increase of pandemic

Newfoundland and Labrador reported 10 deaths due to COVID-19 on Wednesday, the largest increase of deaths in a singleupdate to date.

It raises the total number of deathsin the province to 152 since the beginning of the pandemic, 42 of them reported this monthalone.

Of the 10 deaths reported since the lastprovincial update, on Monday, six people were 80 years old or older, two were in their 70s and two were in their 60s.

Sixwere in the Eastern Health area, two were in Central Health and two were in Western Health.

Thirty-one people are in hospital due to COVID-19 as of Wednesday's update, seven of them in critical care.

In data provided to CBC News by the Department of Health, 448 people had been admitted to hospital because of the virusbetween March 14, 2020, and last Thursday.

The Omicron variant plays a major factor in that number. Between Omicron's onset in December and last Thursday, 350 people wereadmitted to hospital.

The data shows that since the beginning of the pandemic, the largest proportion of hospitalizations have been people over 80 years old. That age group comprises 27 per cent of all hospitalizations.

The province is also reporting 368 new cases since Monday's update 189 on Tuesday and 179 on Wednesday. The number of new cases isn't necessarily a true reflection of thespread of COVID-19 since the Health Department hasrestricted testing and is no longer publishing the number oftests completed.

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