N.L. reports 61st COVID-19 death; 316 new infections add to caseload

Newfoundland and Labradors said Thursday the death toll from the COVID-19 has risen to 61, just aday after the province announced its plans to wind down public health restrictions over the next month.

The latest death involves a woman in her 70s who lives in theWestern Health region, the Department of Health and Community Services said in a statement.

The province also reported 316 newcases of COVID-19 and 261 new recoveries, raising the known active caseload to1,750.

Sixteen people are in hospital the same as Wednesday with five of them in critical care.

By region, thereare224 new cases in the Eastern Health region, 37 in Central Health, 41 in Western Health and 14 inLabrador-Grenfell Health.

A total of 1,264 tests were completed since Wednesday's update, with a positivity rate of 25 per cent.

Dr. Janice Fitzgerald, the province's chief medical officer of health, announced a phased approach to lifting long-term public health restrictions during Wednesday's COVID-19 briefing.

By March 14, all standing public healthrestrictions are expected tobe lifted, including capacity limits, maskingand proof of vaccination requirements. The lifting of public health orders, however, hingeson the province's epidemiology remainingfavourable, she said.

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