Dr. Russell confident with N.B. testing numbers, despite consistently lower than other provinces
On Tuesday, New Brunswick conducted 593 COVID-19 tests while Nova Scotia completed 2,564.
Dr. Jennifer Russell, the province's chief medical officer of health, says New Brunswick has relied on the Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, considered the most accurate tool to determine if a person has the virus, while Nova Scotia also uses the rapid test.
"We have always really tried to maintain our minimum threshold for being confident with our data in terms of PCR testing and when you look at positivity rates, we've been comfortable with our positivity rate as well," she said.
She says while testing is still important, her focus is on encouraging more people to get vaccinated.
"Our protection is really coming from our vaccination rates and that's why it's really important to get them as high as possible," she said.
New Brunswick doctors are hoping to see testing numbers remain steady.
"The increase in COVID-19 cases over the past few days indicates the virus is still present amongst us," said Dr. Jeff Steeves of the New Brunswick Medical Society. "If you are experience any of the COVID-19 symptoms or have been potentially exposed to COVID-19, it is critical you get tested."
The province may not be using rapid tests, but businesses are, with help from the Edmundston, Saint John, Moncton and Fredericton chambers of commerce.
They're providing rapid tests to businesses with fewer than 300 employees. Last week, the Fredericton chamber alone distributed almost 1,000 testing kits – and they believe demand will only increase to give employers, employees and customers peace of mind as restrictions loosen.
In August, the Fredericton International Airport will be adopting a testing program similar to the one at the Greater Moncton Roméo LeBlanc International Airport.
It's voluntary for travelers, but it will cost between $149 and $299 per test.
Dr. Russell says one restriction is still in place under the Public Health Act.
"We're not Alberta, we're New Brunswick and we are doing contact tracing," she said. "And when public health tells you to self-isolate for 10 days, you have to self-isolate for 10 days.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Two killed after collision with truck on Hwy. 417 near Limoges, Ont.
Ontario Provincial Police say two people were killed after a car and a transport truck collided in the westbound lanes of Highway 417 near Limoges, Ont. on Tuesday afternoon.
Houston braces for flooding to worsen in wake of storms
High waters flooded neighborhoods around Houston on Saturday following heavy rains that have already resulted in crews rescuing hundreds of people from homes, rooftops and roads engulfed in murky water.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
What a U.S. farmworker’s case of bird flu tells us about tracking the infection
A U.S. farmworker who caught bird flu after working with dairy cattle in Texas appears to be the first known case of mammal-to-human transmission of the virus, a new study shows.
‘We made them safer and more fun’: Here’s what’s new about e-scooters
Electric scooters (e-scooters) have been gaining popularity in the capital and this season comes with some changes and updates.
Hulk Hogan, hurricanes and a blockbuster recording: A week in review of the Trump hush money trial
Crucial witnesses took the stand in the second week of testimony in Donald Trump's hush money trial, including a California lawyer who negotiated deals at the center of the case and a longtime adviser to the former president.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Canadian Auger-Aliassime reaches first Masters final in Madrid with another walkover
Montreal's Felix Auger-Aliassime has advanced to his first ATP Masters final, and he hasn't had to play all that much tennis to do it.