N.B. adds 13 new COVID-19 cases Wednesday; active cases rise to 71

HALIFAX -

New Brunswick reported 13 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, along with six recoveries, as the total number of active infections in the province increases to 71.

Eleven of the new cases were identified in the Moncton region (Zone 1). Ten of those cases involve people in their 20s, and one involves an individual in their 30s, according to health officials. Nine cases are contacts of previously confirmed cases and two are under investigation.

As of Wednesday, 56 of the province's 71 cases were identified in the Moncton region.

Two new cases were identified in the Saint John region (Zone 2), both involving people in their 20s. One case is travel related and the other is under investigation.

There are currently no hospitalizations in New Brunswick due to COVID-19.

VACCINE UPDATE

As of Wednesday, 70.2 per cent of New Brunswickers age 12 and older are fully vaccinated and 83 per cent have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

In total, 1,061,825 vaccine doses have been administered in New Brunswick.

N.B. health officials say vaccination rates vary across the province, with a gap of about five per cent between the health zones with the lowest and highest vaccination rates.

Below is a breakdown of fully vaccinated individuals aged 12 and over:

• Zone 1 (Moncton region): 71.7 per cent
• Zone 2 (Saint John region): 70.3 per cent
• Zone 3 (Fredericton region): 68.7 per cent
• Zone 4 (Edmundston region): 67.0 per cent
• Zone 5 (Campbellton region): 68.0 per cent
• Zone 6 (Bathurst region): 71.2 per cent
• Zone 7 (Miramichi region): 70.2 per cent

“The breakdown of vaccination rates by zone is something we have been asked recently by those curious about how different areas are doing,” said Dr. Jennifer Russell, N.B. chief medical officer of health, in a news release.

“The difference between zones is not a lot but, throughout the vaccination campaign, that kind of data has helped Public Health determine if there are areas that may require extra pushes to help people get vaccinated in a timely manner. Obviously, we want to see all areas with as high a vaccination rate as possible.”

If you have not yet had your first or second dose, you are encouraged to go to a mobile or walk-in clinic or to book an appointment through a participating pharmacy or at a Vitalité or Horizon Health Network clinic.

All eligible New Brunswickers can book their second dose appointments now for a date that is at least 28 days after their first dose.

If you have an appointment for a vaccine but were able to get vaccinated sooner elsewhere, please be sure to contact your pharmacy or regional health authority clinic to cancel the appointment you no longer need. This will help ensure that someone else in your community can obtain their vaccination sooner.

COVID-19 CASE DATA

New Brunswick has had 2,460 cumulative cases of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic.

In total, 2,342 people have recovered, and 46 people have died in the province from COVID-19.

Public health says 949 tests were completed in New Brunswick on Tuesday. A total of 389,264 tests have been processed since the start of the pandemic.

The number of cases are broken down by New Brunswick’s seven health zones:

• Zone 1 – Moncton region: 573 confirmed cases (56 active cases)
• Zone 2 – Saint John region: 307 confirmed cases (6 active cases)
• Zone 3 – Fredericton region: 455 confirmed cases (1 active case)
• Zone 4 – Edmundston region: 755 confirmed cases (no active cases)
• Zone 5 – Campbellton region: 186 confirmed cases (1 active case)
• Zone 6 – Bathurst region: 140 confirmed cases (4 active cases)
• Zone 7 – Miramichi region: 44 confirmed cases (3 active cases)

POTENTIAL PUBLIC EXPOSURES

Anyone with symptoms of the virus, as well as anyone who has been at the site of a possible public exposure, is urged to request a test online or call Tele-Care at 811 to get an appointment.