N.L. reports 24th death due to COVID-19

Newfoundland and Labrador is reporting its 24th death related to COVID-19.

A woman older than 70 in the province's Western Health region has died, the Department of Health said Friday afternoon in a media release.

Eight people are in hospital due to COVID-19, with three people in critical care, according to the department.

The province reported 475 new cases Friday, including 71 through testing that was completed out of province.

There are 350 new cases in the Eastern Health region, 26 in the Central Health region, 39 in the Western Health region, 51 in the Labrador-Grenfell Health region and nine cases that were found by private testing lab outside regional health authorities.

Officials also reported 1,029 recoveries — a new record and the first time more than 1,000 recoveries have been reported in a single day — leaving 5,574 known active cases.

The province has now completed 450,158 COVID-19 tests, including 2,952 done since Thursday's update.

Meanwhile, Labrador-Grenfell Health officials region announced Friday that medical services in the region will return to normal after the health authority cancelled some services to help with pandemic response.

The health authority says lab services will resume by appointment effective Monday at the Labrador West Health Centre, Charles S. Curtis Memorial Hospital, Labrador South Health Centre, the Strait of Belle Isle Health Centre and the White Bay Central Health Centre. Walk-in lab services will also be available at the Labrador Health Centre in Happy Valley-Goose Bay.

Diagnostic imaging is restarting across the region, while all rural and remote services are also resuming. Anyone who had an appointment cancelled as part of the diversions will be contacted to reschedule.

Other health authorities have had to divert services throughout the latest COVID-19 wave, but have not released details on when services will resume.

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