FREDERICTON -- New Brunswick reported a dozen new cases of COVID-19 Wednesday as the chief medical officer of health raised concerns about an outbreak in the Edmundston region involving a more contagious variant.

Ten of the latest cases are in the Edmundston area in the northwest of the province, and most are considered travel-related or close contacts of previously reported cases.

"We're quite concerned because it is the variant," Dr. Jennifer Russell said in an interview Wednesday.

"At this point in time we are really concerned that we have to pull out all the stops to get things under control in Zone 4," she added, referring to the health zone that includes Edmundston.

Russell said health officials met with area mayors and members of the legislature Wednesday to discuss the outbreak. "We are seeing rapid transmission," she said. "We are seeing a lot of close contacts, and because of the variant being so much more transmissible, we need the contacts of close contacts to be isolating."

With confirmed variant cases in the Edmundston area, a mass testing clinic will be held there Thursday and Friday to determine if there has been further spread in the region.

Russell stressed the mass testing clinics are for people with no symptoms of COVID-19 and who have not been ordered to self-isolate.

A positive case of COVID-19 has been confirmed at the Carrefour de la Jeunesse school in Edmundston, and both the school and an associated child-care facility are closed until April 6.

Russell is asking people in the area to limit their contacts and the number of places they visit. While there is no mandatory order in place, she common sense dictates that people should not be travelling in and out of Zone 4.

She said officials hope the outbreak can be contained without ordering a lockdown or moving the zone to a different level of the province's pandemic recovery plan.

"We're going to see how the next few days unroll ... but it's certainly not out of the question," Russell said.

The new cases raise the total of confirmed cases in New Brunswick since the pandemic began to 1,517.

New Brunswick Health Minister Dorothy Shephard said Wednesday that public health staff are growing increasingly concerned about variants.

"Since Feb. 28, 55 per centof our cases have been presumed presumptive or confirmed to be the variant and that's a significant increase in only three and a half weeks," Shephard said.

Public health also reported Wednesday afternoon that five people have recovered in the previous 24 hours so the number of active cases sits at 63. Three of those people are hospitalized.

On Tuesday, public health staff conducted 956 tests for a total of 247,431 since the COVID-19 pandemic began more than a year ago.

There have been 30 deaths.

MASS TESTING FOR ASYMPTOMATIC PEOPLE IN ZONE 4

With news of confirmed cases of the variant appearing in Zone 4 (Edmundston region), New Brunswick Public Health has set up a mass testing clinic to help determine if there has been any further spread in the region.

It is open to anyone who does not have symptoms of COVID-19 and who is not self-isolating.

This clinic will be held Thursday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Saint-Basile Arena, at 275 Principale St.

"No appointment is necessary. Screening tests will be conducted on a first-come, first-served basis," public health wrote in a news release. "Asymptomatic people do not need to self-isolate while awaiting results unless advised to do so by public health."

People with symptoms are asked to request a test online or call Tele-Care 811 to get an appointment at the nearest screening centre.

NEW GROUPS ELIGIBLE FOR COVID-19 VACCINE

The New Brunswick government announced Wednesday afternoon that people 75 and older, rotational workers, regular cross-border commuters and truck drivers are eligible to book an appointment at a pharmacy for a COVID-19 vaccine.

"Walk-in appointments are not available," public health wrote in a news release. "When booking an appointment, people should indicate if they are self-isolating as pharmacies may have specific processes for them. For people 75 and older, a caregiver or family member acting on their behalf can make the appointment."

If you are a rotational worker, regular cross-border commuter, or truck driver, you must bring proof of eligibly to your appointment.

"Please do not call a pharmacy unless you are in one of these groups or you are calling on behalf of someone in one of these groups," said Shepherd. "We will announce when booking opens for other priority groups."

VACCINATION CLINICS FOR STAFF AT HIGH SCHOOLS

As part of the province-wide campaign to vaccinate 4,500 staff at New Brunswick's high schools, vaccination clinics in Saint John will be available for staff from the following schools on Thursday:

  • Harbour View High School in Saint John
  • Saint John High School
  • Simonds High School in Saint John
  • St. Malachy's Memorial High School in Saint John
  • Centre scolaire Samuel-de-Champlain in Saint John

Additional clinics will be held throughout the week for high school staff in the following areas:

  • March 26 – Tracadie and Moncton regions;
  • March 29 – Shediac, Bathurst, and Campbellton regions.

EXPOSURE NOTIFICATIONS

Public Health has identified a potential public exposure to the virus at the following locations in Edmundston:

  • Kentucky Fried Chicken Restaurant, 180 Hébert Blvd., on March 19 between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m.
  • Centre Jean-Daigle, 85 du 15 Août St., on March 21, during a hockey game of the Edmundston Blizzard which started at 3 p.m.

ALL ZONES AT YELLOW LEVEL

All zones are in the Yellow level under the province’s mandatory order.

With files from CTV Atlantic.