Province reaches halfway point of first vaccinations

School-related case confirmed in Musgravetown as N.L. averages 50 per cent first-shot status

If you're wondering who's winning the vaccine race in Newfoundland and Labrador, it appears to be the Labradorgrenfell Health region.

The health authority announced Tuesday that 60 per cent of its eligible residents have received at least one shot of COVID-19 vaccine.

That's compared to just over 47 per cent for the province as a whole, a statistic that was updated Tuesday but may have reached 50 per cent by now because it takes about a day to aggregate the results.

The pace of vaccinations has increased rapidly in the past month as bulk shipments of vaccine continue to rise. The province is expecting more than 51,000 new doses this week alone, and has started Phase 3 of its rollout earlier than expected. That means anyone over the age of 12 can now arrange a shot through one of the four health authorities.

Public Health has yet to announce any school-based program.

Information on all vaccination clinics and booking portals can be found online at https://www.gov.nl.ca/covid-19/vaccine/gettheshot/.

SIX NEW CASES

Meanwhile, the province reported six new cases of COVID-19 Tuesday, all either travel-related or close contacts of previous cases.

There were also two new presumptive cases — tests not yet confirmed at the provincial lab — and one of those is related to a small cluster in the Codroy Valley.

That cluster of nine cases includes three cases related to the all-grade school Belanger Memorial, but health officials say there is no sign of community spread in the region, which is temporarily at Level 4 alert status.

The Department of Health has also confirmed a case related to a school in Musgravetown.

“A positive case of COVID19 has been identified at Anthony Paddon Elementary,” the department said in a statement Tuesday. “Public Health has notified all those who are close contacts and has provided advice regarding isolation and testing. Testing for all those who are close contacts has been arranged.”

The 14 crewmembers who tested positive on the cargo vessel Federal Montreal have all recovered, and the ship left Conception Bay over the weekend.

With the crew's departure, along with other recoveries, there are now 83 active cases in the province.