Newfoundland and Labrador reports sixth COVID-19 death and four new cases

Newfoundland & Labrador's provincial flag flies on a flag pole in Ottawa, Monday July 6, 2020. (THE CANADIAN PRESS / Adrian Wyld)

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — Newfoundland and Labrador is reporting its sixth death from COVID-19 as the province continues to battle an outbreak of a virus variant first detected in the United Kingdom.

Health authorities say the latest death was a man over the age of 70 in the Eastern Health region.

The province also recorded four new confirmed cases in the same region, including two females and two males with one between the ages of 20 and 39 and three between the ages of 40 and 49.

Officials say contact tracing is underway and anyone considered a close contact has been advised to quarantine.

Newfoundland has been in lockdown since Feb. 12, when officials first announced an outbreak in the St. John's area was fuelled by the mutation of the novel coronavirus.

The province has 271 active cases of COVID-19 and there are currently 10 people in hospital with six in intensive care.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 27, 2022.