N.L. reports 3 more COVID-19 hospitalizations, but no new fatalities

There was not much movement on the COVID-19 front in Newfoundland and Labrador on Friday as the province reported three more hospitalizations but no new fatalities as a result of the virus.

As of Friday's update,17 people are in hospital with five of those in critical care — the same total as Wednesday's update. 

On Thursday, Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Janice Fitzgerald told CBC News that infection rates are slowing down — particularly in the over-60 years old population, which has carried the heaviest toll of COVID-19 fatalities in recent weeks. 

She said hospital admissions because of COVID-19 are dropping as well and there's a number of factors at work leading to the lull.

"We have a certain level of immunity," she said. 

"We've been very fortunate here that people have gotten vaccinated and then a lot of people have gotten boosted as well."

The province reported 212 new cases since Wednesday's update: 104 on Thursday and 108 on Friday. But the data isn't a true indicator of the spread of COVID-19 since the Department of Health has restricted testing administered by health authorities and is not releasing the data tests completed. 

Fitzgerald said its expected cases will continue to fall over the next couple of weeks and is hoping for a summer lull ahead of what could be a resurgence in the fall. 

As of Friday, 92.4 per cent of the province's population over five years old is fully vaccinated.

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