There is one new case of COVID-19 in Newfoundland and Labrador, moving the province’s total caseload to 268.
According to a government press release, the new case is a male in the Eastern Health region between 20 and 39 years old.
The man is a close contact of the existing case reported Friday. That case involved a woman who had flown from Toronto to St. John’s as part of filming for the Hudson & Rex television series.
The Department of Health said contact tracing by is underway. Everyone considered a close contact is being advised to quarantine.
“As the individual was a close contact of the existing case, he has been self-isolating,” the department’s press release said.
The province now has two active cases.
So far, 27,050 people have been tested for coronavirus since March, including 144 since Sunday.
In total, 263 people have recovered. Three people have died from the virus.
Friday’s active case was travel-related, and not from the province, but was granted an exemption to come to Newfoundland, according to the government.
The producer of Hudson & Rex confirmed CBC’s initial reporting that a crew member of the show tested positive for the virus.
The show is continuing to film in St. John’s. A portion of the Mundy Pond walking trail is closed until 9 p.m. Monday to accommodate filming.
Paul Pope said the case was found through regular private testing, and all COVID-19 precautions on set were followed.
“They have to pass a pre-screening [test] in Ontario, which they did,” Pope said. “They followed all the precautions on the airplane. Then, when they arrived in St. John’s, they were picked up by our transport, which has a divider, and [the crew member and driver] both wore masks.”
Since arriving from Ontario, Pope said, the woman has interacted with only three people: the driver of the vehicle, the medical professional who administered the test, and one other member of the crew.
The provincial government has also asked anyone who travelled on Air Canada Flight AC690, which departed from Toronto for St. John’s on Aug. 6, to monitor themselves and call 811 if COVID-19 symptoms develop.
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