Travel restrictions are expected to be announced today, as Health Minister iterates Newfoundland and Labrador is not yet past COVID-19.

Health Minister John Haggie says today’s confirmed case is a reminder that we are not yet past the spread of COVID-19.

Minister Haggie issued a reminder about restrictions on travel into the province that will be imposed today, Monday, May 4.

Officials were shocked to learn this week that visitors from outside the province had arrived Bonavista to see the sights.

Haggie says today those who are not permanent residents of the province will not be allowed in.

He warns those with seasonal homes or who are planning a vacation or a get together here,”this is not the year for you.”

Some exceptions will be allowed by the Chief Medical Officer of Health – including those arriving for compassionate reasons and essential workers who have been previously approved and are meeting other public health requirements.

Courtesy VOCM News.

Torngat Fish Producers Cooperative is monitoring how or what the process will be of COVID-19, right now.

We spoke with Keith Watts, the General Manager of Torngat Fisheries last Friday.

He says the office has been closed since around March 16th.

Watts says he will be scheduling up a teleconference in the near future to do an update with the board of directors.

He says at the moment there are no news or plans within the fishery for the North coast.

Click here to hear Watts give you more details.

After the first weekend of “double bubbles” in Newfoundland and Labrador — allowing two households to come together amid the COVID-19 pandemic — Health Minister John Haggie says there are signs for concern.

[There has been] lots of other correspondence and photographs of suggestions that people have just walked through an open door than just nudged it open gently.

Newfoundland and Labrador saw no new cases of COVID-19 over the weekend. The province’s total number of cases remains at 259. There are 24 active cases of the virus remaining in the province, as most people who contracted the virus have recovered. Three people have died since the first case of COVID-19 was announced on March 14th.

Haggie said that while the number of active cases has decreased, the time for larger gatherings to resume isn’t now.

“Obviously our big worry is a repeat of, say, a wake or visitation incident that triggered all our numbers in the first place,” Haggie said.

“If the numbers allow, then we can relax that gently over the course of the next few levels. Quite frankly though mass gatherings are going to have to wait.”

There are no new cases of COVID-19 in the province again today.

The provincial government says the total number of positive cases remains at 259.

232 people have now recovered.

That’s up one from Saturday, and leaves 24 active cases across Newfoundland and Labrador.

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

Four people are in the hospital due to the virus, two of those people are in Intensive Care.
To date, 8,833 people have been tested.

Nunatsiavut Beneficiaries in Happy Valley-Goose Bay and Mud Lake about the Emergency Food Supplement program.

Applications are done over the phone for those wishing to apply for the Emergency Food Supplement Program.

This program provides eligible individuals with some emergency funding (in the form of gift cards at North Mart or Terrington Co-op) for food during the COVID-19 epidemic.

If you are a beneficiary from Happy Valley Goose Bay, Mud Lake or North West River you can call 896-3396 and ask to complete an application.

All applications go to a review committee who applies specific criteria to each one and someone will contact to you to let you know if you have been approved or not.

The Canadian Emergency Response Benefit is entitled to those who are impacted by the COVID-19.

You are eligible for this program only if you have lost your job directly due to Covid-19.

You’re CERB payment is taxable income. An easy example would be – If you had accepted any payment of $2,000 and had made $30,000 that year, it will now show as $32,000 for your gross earnings for this coming tax year. It is calculated: Your gross earnings + any amount taken from the CERB.

According to the Canadian Government, your income will determine how much you will have to owe back come April 2021.

You will have to owe part or all of it back. CERB payments aren’t considered ‘free’ money. It’s more like “We’ll give you extra money to sustain yourself and/or your family during this crisis, but we need some or all of it back at the end of tax season, April 2021.

Canadians who were already receiving EI will continue to do so and need not apply to the CERB, but can switch to the program if their EI benefits end before October 2020 if they remain jobless due to Covid-19.
Those whose EI benefits have run out since the start of the calendar year will qualify for CERB, as will seasonal workers who have exhausted their regular EI benefits and whose seasonal work has been disrupted by the outbreak.

Canadians who are making up to $1,000 a month, employed or self-employed, will also be able to qualify. If they had made approximately $12,000 or less this last tax season, you will not be required to owe anything back. In any case, you still have to submit the required documentation.
You don’t qualify for the CERB if you have quit your job.

Those who have applied for EI during this pandemic will have their waiting period waived, you can check on the status of your application through your ‘My Service Canada Account’. (MSCA)
If you apply for EI during this pandemic, you will automatically be entered into CERB.

What are your thoughts on COVID-19?

The OKâlaKatiget Radio is hosting an open line show for the audience to have a chance to call and ask questions related to COVID-19.

Representatives from the Nunatsiavut Government, Department of Social Development and Labrador-Grenfell Regional Health Authority will be on the phone to answer any questions or concerns on this topic.

The Nunatsiavut representatives include the Minister of Health and Social Development, Gerald Asivak, Director Health Services, Sylvia Doody and Director of Mental Wellness and Healing, Kaila de Boer.

The Labrador-Grenfell representatives include Dr. Thomas Piggott who is the Regional Medical Officer of Health and Dr. Gabe Woollam who is the Vice President Medical Services will also be available to answer questions.

Anyone who has questions or concerns can gives us a call at the OKâlaKatiget Radio studio at (709) 922-2955 or call our toll free line at 1(855) 922-2955 on Friday, May 1st, 2020 between 1:30 pm and 2:30 pm.

The Nunatsiavut Government has Mental Health Kits for beneficiaries that was sponsored from VALE.

Gerald Asivak is the Minister of Health and Social Development and Ordinary Member for Upper Lake Melville Area.

This Mental Health Kit is for anyone who is in the Labrador Land Claims area.

Click here to hear Minister Asivak give you more details on the kits.

TaKuaKautik will be having their next giveaway the evening of Thursday, April 30th, 2020.

From now until further notice, TaKuaKautik will be doing giveaways by delivery only.

If you received a food bag last month, your house hold will automatically be placed on the delivery list for this month.

To be added to the list, or removed from the list, let us know on facebook or call toll free 709-700-4739, and leave your name and address.

Someone must be home between the hours of 5-8 pm on Thursday the 30th to receive the bag (volunteer will knock, and leave bag at the door and walk away so the bag can be picked up).

Food will not be left on the porches if no one is home.

The Labrador School Board would like to share a Survey Link for students and parents from grades Kindergarten to Grade 9.

This survey will take only a few minutes to complete.

This will help the school board to find ways to assist students who might be having difficulty connecting with their teachers.

This survey assesses the level of access that students have to electronic devices on the internet at home.

Please answer the following questions for students in Kindergarten to Grade 9 to help them collect information on home access to remote learning during this time.

If parents did not receive this link, you can check out forms.gle/7z46DuqdKQ4qJ3hUA