Almost 20 per cent of eligible New Brunswickers fully vaccinated; province reports no new cases of COVID-19 Monday
New Brunswick's COVID-19 dashboard refreshed Monday morning, showing 19.2 per cent of people over 12 in the province are fully vaccinated.
Pharmacies and health authority clinics are busy – and the province's online booking system had a lineup 10,000 people long Monday afternoon.
The vaccine supply is there too – with 185,000 doses of Pfizer and Moderna expected by week's end.
But is it enough to get 75 per cent of eligible New Brunswickers fully vaccinated by New Brunswick Day on Aug. 2?
"It will be tough," says Dr. Jeff Steeves, president of the N.B. Medical Society. "We have to go from 19.2 per cent today, to 75 per cent which is just under 400,000 people. And if you do the math on the 41 days left, we'd have to provide about 9,400 a day, every day, to get to that point."
He says over the weekend, about 2,800 second doses/day were administered. But last week also saw a high of almost 12,000 administered in one day.
"We may not make Aug. 2 but it probably won't be that far after that. And I wouldn't take that as not a victory if we don't make that arbitrary date, we certainly should make Sept. 1 which was the originally thinking a few months ago," he said.
Epidemiologist Kevin Wilson says he doesn't believe convincing people to get their second dose will be as difficult as encouraging more to get their first.
"Probably the hardest part of the vaccine rollout is going to be actually getting first doses to kind of that back 20 per cent of the eligible population," he said. "The groups that are sort of like, not interested at all or more likely they're just on the fence or procrastinating."
As of Monday, 76.4 per cent of N.B. residents over 12 have their first dose of the vaccine.
NO NEW CASES REPORTED MONDAY
Public Health reporting there are no new cases of COVID-19 in New Brunswick on Monday.
Two people have recovered since Sunday so the number of active cases drops to 54.
Five people are hospitalized, including two who are in intensive care.
Public Health conducted 407 tests on Sunday, raising the total since the pandemic began to 357,341.
There have been 45 deaths in New Brunswick since the pandemic began.
MORE VISITORS ALLOWED AT LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES
The number of visitors allowed at long-term care facilities increased to 50 per cent capacity on Monday.
"All COVID-19 safety measures remain in place in facilities, and it is important to continue to follow them to protect vulnerable residents," Public Health wrote in a news release. "Visitors will be provided a medical mask upon entering, they will actively be screened, their contact information will be collected, and they will need to maintain physical distancing during their visit."
Visitors from outside New Brunswick who are allowed in the province under the mandatory order are permitted to enter nursing homes and adult residential facilities, but must follow the same protocols.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Another suspect arrested in Toronto Pearson airport gold heist: police
Another suspect is in custody in connection with the gold heist at Toronto Pearson International Airport last year, police say.
Justin and Hailey Bieber are expecting their first child together
Hailey and Justin Bieber are going to be parents. The couple announced the news on Thursday on Instagram, both sharing a video that showcases Hailey Bieber's growing belly.
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
Poilievre-led government 'would never' use notwithstanding clause on abortion, his office says
A Conservative government led by Pierre Poilievre would not legislate on, nor use the notwithstanding clause, on abortion, his office says, as anti-abortion protesters gather on Parliament Hill.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
Miss Teen USA steps down just days after Miss USA's resignation
Miss Teen USA resigned Wednesday, sending further shock waves through the pageant community just days after Miss USA said she would relinquish her crown.
Why these immigrants to Canada say they're thinking about leaving, or have already moved on
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
Cyclist strikes child crossing the street to catch school bus in Montreal
A video circulating on social media of a young girl being hit by a bike has some calling for better safety and more caution when designing bike lanes in the city. The video shows a four-year-old girl crossing Jeanne-Mance Street in Montreal's Plateau neighbourhood to get on a school bus stopped on the opposite side of the street