Newfoundland and Labrador is reporting five new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, just two hours after the first people in Newfoundland and Labrador received a vaccination for the disease.
All five cases are travel-related, with four in the Eastern Health region and one in the Central Health region, according to Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Janice Fitzgerald.
With two new recoveries, said Fitzgerald, the province now has 23 active cases.
There have been many COVID-19 briefings, but Wednesday’s marks a milestone — an afternoon update by officials, but one that follows the first vaccinations administered in Newfoundland and Labrador.
The premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, flanked by his health minister and the chief medical officer of health, will give an update on COVID-19 at 2:30 p.m.
Earlier today all three observed the first inoculations against the coronavirus in St. John’s.
Ellen Foley-Vick, a registered nurse with public health, and Dr. Jatin Morkar, clinical chief with the medicine program, received the Pfizer-BioNTech shot at Memorial University’s school of medicine.
Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Janice Fitzgerald administered the first vaccine.
“I’m feeling very hopeful today,” she said in a briefing earlier Wednesday morning.
“We know that there’s still lots of work to do, but it makes it easier to know that it’s the beginning of the end.”
As of Tuesday, Newfoundland and Labrador had 20 active cases of COVID-19. The total number of cases in the province since March is 359.
Manitoba, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island also gave their first doses on Wednesday.
