COVID-19 hospitalizations up slightly in N.L.

The number of people in hospital because of COVID-19 in Newfoundland and Labrador stayed relatively flat on Friday, despite a small rise in the number of reported cases.

There are 16 people in hospital as a result of the virus — up one from the Department of Health's last update, on Wednesday. Six people are in intensive care.

The province also reported a total of 947 new cases since Wednesday: 497 on Thursday and 450 on Friday.

Of the new cases, 272 are in the Eastern Health region, 93 are in the Western Health region, 71 are in the Central Health region and 14 are in the Labrador-Grenfell Health region.

A total of 295 new recoveries were also reported Friday, leaving 2,812 active cases.

More than 517,000 COVID-19 tests have now been completed in Newfoundland and Labrador since the beginning of the pandemic, including 2,587 since Wednesday, with a positivity rate of 36.6 per cent.

Along with Friday's update from the Department of Health, Eastern Health announced visitor restrictions at its health-care facilities are being eased to line up with current provincial guidelines.

In-patients at hospitals and residents of long-term care homes can now have two visitors at the same time, according to a media release. Patients and residents are no longer required to identify their visitors, and the two visitors don't have to always be the same two people.

Visitation is not permitted if a visitor has symptoms of COVID-19, except in special circumstances, and masking and proof of vaccination is required.

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