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
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
Stormy Daniels took the witness stand Tuesday at Donald Trump's hush money trial, describing for jurors a sexual encounter the porn actor says she had with him in 2006 that resulted in her being paid off to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
CFL suspends Argos QB Chad Kelly at least nine games following investigation
The CFL suspended Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly for at least nine regular-season games Tuesday following its investigation into a lawsuit filed by a former strength-and-conditioning coach against both the player and club.
Air France flight from Paris to Seattle lands in Iqaluit after heat smell in cabin
A plane travelling from Paris to Seattle was forced to make an emergency landing in Iqaluit after there was a heat smell in the cabin during the flight.