The New Brunswick Health Department says there are a lot more reported cases this year, compared to last.
Many businesses say they are encouraging employees to wash their hands in an attempt for lower the spread of germs.
“One of the girls, when she came in, she was having flu-like symptoms, then obviously with all the other girls,” explains pool hall manager, Drew Lapointe. “Handling money and dealing with the public. It seemed to spread through the whole staff system that I have here.”
“It just moved on to another one of co-workers,” says bartender, Cynthia Vienneau. “She wasn’t feeling good for a few days and then it just progressed from there. We ended up all getting it in the end.
In the second week of January, there were 154 reported cases of influenza in New Brunswick.
Dr. Yves Leger of the New Brunswick Department of Health says the number could even be much higher as many cases go unreported.
“You want to make sure that the people feeling sick get to stay home,” advises Lapointe. “Get some rest before coming back in and dealing with the public.”
Health officials say while there is no cure for the flu, there are ways to minimize the chances of getting it, such as getting vaccinated and washing your hands often.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s David Bell
