Newfoundland and Labrador’s chief medical officer of health, Dr. Janice Fitzgerald, says the province’s rates of COVID-19 are stable. (Mark Quinn/CBC)

While Newfoundland and Labrador’s top doctor is recommending people get the latest COVID-19 vaccine when it becomes available, she says overall the virus is now considered like other respiratory ailments.

Dr. Janice Fitzgerald, the province’s chief medical officer of health, said the public should continue getting vaccines because it can still stop its spread.

“We know that the vaccine is effective in reducing severe outcomes  — so hospitalization and death — and it can certainly help to reduce the spread of the disease,” she told CBC News.

“So we certainly do recommend that people get vaccinations when the new fall campaign starts.”

LISTEN | Dr. Janice Fitzgerald says N.L. is in good shape when it comes to COVID-19 going into the fall: 

Fitzgerald estimates the campaign to promote the most recent vaccine will be rolled out in late October.

“We’ll be working through some of the more finite plans of that over the next few weeks,” she said.

People who are at high risk for severe disease should get the vaccine, she said, which includes older people who have severe health conditions.

“Of course it is available to anyone who would want to get it over the age of six months,” she said.

Stable numbers

According to the province’s respiratory dashboard, which updates the last Friday of the month, there were six people hospitalized due to COVID-19 with no one in critical condition.

There has been one death in the last month and the vaccination rate for eligible people is at 19.2 per cent.

Fitzgerald said that while some areas are reporting an increase in cases and hospitalization rates, that isn’t happening in Newfoundland and Labrador, where rates are stable.

“We’re seeing relatively stable epidemiology over this summer,” she said.

According to the latest data updated on the Newfoundland and Labrador respiratory dashboard, one person died from COVID-19 in the last month. (Government of Newfoundland and Labrador)

During the height of pandemic restrictions, individuals were told to isolate themselves from others to stop the spread. Fitzgerald said now there is no self-isolation recommendation.

“COVID is just like any other respiratory disease at this point, we’re recommending that people stay home while they’re feeling really unwell,” said Fitzgerald.

From a public health perspective, she said they don’t need to test the general public to inform their response.

Previously, she said COVID-19 tests were used to let people know people if they need to self-isolate but since that recommendation is no longer in place, there isn’t the same need for public testing.

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