Residents on the North Coast of Labrador have been experiencing some technical problems with the Phone and Internet services this week.

Lela Evans is our MHA for the Torngat District.

She says people have been asking about the issues with phone and internet services in the north coast communities.

The answer she just received is that Bell Aliant is doing upgrades on the systems, so there will be interruptions throughout today.

Work will be ongoing for the next week.

Evans is waiting for more information to provide to everyone.

OK Radio will have more information once it becomes available.

A new gun restriction is put in place by the Federal Government.

The new regulations came out last week.

We spoke with our MHA for the Torngat District, Lela Evans to find out more.

She says a lot of people are going to her to find out more information about this new restriction.

Click here to find out more about the gun restrictions.

The Nunatsiavut Government is recommending that Beneficiaries in the Labrador Inuit Settlement Area refrain from harvesting migratory birds after May 30th, 2020.

Based on previous discussions with experienced hunters in our communities, the Nunatsiavut Government is recommending that the Spring Harvest be kept to a minimum.

Hunters should exercise good conservation practices and not exceed four (4) Canada geese and eight (8) freshwater ducks and divers per household.

Please keep in mind that this is the mating season of migratory birds and birds should be harvested accordingly.

Harvesting of Harlequin Duck (Lords and Ladies) is prohibited.

If you require additional information, please contact your local Nunatsiavut Government Conservation Officer, Conservation Officers will be monitoring the harvest of migratory birds.

Newfoundland and Labrador has no new confirmed cases of COVID-19.

The total number of confirmed cases in the province remains at 261.

The regional breakdown of the 261 cases is as follows:

• Eastern Health – 243
• Central Health – 8
• Labrador-Grenfell Health – 6
• Western Health – 4

Fifty-two per cent of cases are female and forty-eight per cent are male.

Four people are in hospital due to the virus. Of these patients, two are in intensive care.

244 people have recovered.

There have been three deaths from COVID-19.

To date, 9,821 people have been tested.

TRHA held a board meeting in February about the allocations for along the coast.

We spoke with William Lucy, the Coordinator with Torngat Regional Housing Association for an update.

He says for Nain, there will be three new homes built and $12,000 in repairs.

In Hopedale, two new homes.

In Makkovik, $93,000 in repairs.

And in Rigolet, they will have one new home built for this year.

Click here to hear more from Lucy on the TRHA update.

This week is Mental Health Awareness Week.

Elsie Russell is the Mental Health and Addictions Councillor with DHSD.

The Nain DHSD is holding a contest for anyone and ends on Monday, May 10th.

Russell says the prizes for this contest are: 3rd place winner will get a $100 Gift Certificate of their choice; they can use the gift card either in Franks, Northern, Woodward’s, of their choice.

2nd place winner will win a Seal Skin, and 1st place winner will win an 8X10 Labrador Tent.

To find out more about this contest, please click here to find out more details and how to apply in the contest.

The province will move from Alert Level Five to Alert Level Four as of 12:01 a.m. on Monday, but the Chief Medical Officer of Health says that doesn’t mean friends can start getting together in groups.

Gatherings of up to 10 people will be allowed in Alert Level Four. However, Dr. Janice Fitzgerald says these are supposed to be organized gatherings like funerals, weddings or ceremonies.

She says if they’re organized, you can plan for physical distancing and proper hygiene.

Dr. Fitzgerald says it is not meant for people to be out gathering with others outside their bubble and getting together casually in the backyard or for a dinner party.

She says with people and friends being who they are, physical distancing is not likely to be maintained in that situation for a prolonged period of time, and people will end up bursting their own bubbles.

When they talk about gatherings, Dr.Fitzgerald was firm that it’s about organized gatherings with very strict rules about how people should be interacting.

More than 7 million Canadians have applied for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB).

And those receiving the money that isn’t entitled to it could be putting their own financial futures at risk.

To qualify for the CERB, an applicant must be a Canadian resident over 15 years of age who has been forced to stop working because of the pandemic.

The applicant also must have earned a minimum of $5,000 over the last 12 months and must expect to make less than $1,000 a month while collecting the benefit.

OK Radio will have more information once it becomes available.

The province has two new confirmed cases of COVID-19—both in the Eastern Health region.

One case is connected to the Kearl Lake outbreak in Alberta, while the second is still under investigation, but is not related to the recent possible exposure at the Health Sciences Centre.

Over 100 staff at the hospital is in self-isolation after coming into contact with a patient who tested positive after being considered recovered.

The two new cases are the first reported in the province in nearly a week.

That brings the total number of cases in the province to 261. Of those there are 244 have recovered, while 9,458 people have been tested.

Yesterday it was announced that there were no new cases of COVID-19 in the province again.

The provincial government says the total number of positive cases remains at 259.
244 people have now recovered.

There are a total of 15 active cases across Newfoundland and Labrador.

By region, there are 241 cases in the Western Health region, eight cases in Central Health, six cases in Labrador-Grenfell Health and four cases in Western Health.

Two people are in the hospital due to the virus.

To date, 9,296 people have been tested.