N.B. confirms first case of Omicron subvariant BA.2, 1 additional death Friday
New Brunswick health officials confirmed the province's first case of the COVID-19 Omicron subvariant BA.2 on Friday.
The Dr. Georges-L-Dumont University Hospital Centre's microbiology laboratory in Moncton, N.B., has identified a sample from a person in Zone 1 as being positive for Omicron BA.2.
“While the impact of all variants continues to be monitored, we know that vaccination – including a booster – in combination with public health and individual measures, is key to reducing the spread of COVID-19 and its variants,” said Dr. Jennifer Russell, the province’s chief medical officer of health, in a news release.
ONE ADDITIONAL DEATH
New Brunswick reported one additional death related to COVID-19 on Friday.
According to the province’s online dashboard, the death involves:
- A person in their 80s from Zone 6 (Bathurst region)
There have been 252 deaths reported in New Brunswick since the start of the pandemic, with more than 89 of those recorded since the beginning of January.
According to the province, 59.43 per cent of the deaths have been in people with partial or no vaccine protection, while 40.57 per cent were "protected," which public health defines as boosted or fully vaccinated less than six months.
HOSPITALIZATIONS
According to the province’s online dashboard, a total of 163 people were hospitalized as of Friday.
Of those in hospital, 70 were admitted due to COVID-19, while 93 were admitted for other reasons, but tested positive for the virus.
Seventeen people are in intensive care with COVID-19 on Friday. Sixteen patients were admitted to the unit due to the virus, and one was admitted for other reasons, but has tested positive for COVID-19.
Nine people are currently on ventilators in New Brunswick.
NEW CASES
There were 401 new PCR-confirmed cases of COVID-19 reported Friday in New Brunswick.
Officials are also reporting 403 new cases using rapid tests.
The breakdown of the new PCR-confirmed cases by health zone is as follows:
- Zone 1 – the Moncton region – 189 new cases
- Zone 2 – the Saint John region - 67 new cases
- Zone 3 – the Fredericton region - 64 new cases
- Zone 4 – the Edmundston region – 22 new cases
- Zone 5 – the Campbellton region - 10 new cases
- Zone 6 – the Bathurst region - 37 new cases
- Zone 7 – the Miramichi region - 12 new cases
According to the online dashboard, there are 3,916 active cases of the virus confirmed in New Brunswick.
HEALTH-CARE WORKERS IN ISOLATION
As of Friday, there were a total of 399 health-care workers who had tested positive for COVID-19 and were isolating.
Here is a breakdown of the health-care workers isolating as of Friday:
- Vitalité Health Network - 140
- Horizon Health Network - 186
- Ambulance New Brunswick - 73
VACCINATION UPDATE
As of Friday, 92.3 per cent of New Brunswickers have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, 85 per cent are fully vaccinated with two doses of vaccine, and 45.7 per cent have now received a booster dose.
In total, 1,674,393 doses of the vaccine have been administered in New Brunswick.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.