N.B. opposition leaders call for more COVID-19 restrictions before it’s 'too late'
With 80 people needing hospitalization in New Brunswick after contracting COVID-19 over the weekend, some politicians are calling for the province to move to the most restrictive level of its COVID-19 Winter Plan.
Level 3 is similar to what the province went through at the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020, where only essential retailers can remain open, spas, gyms, entertainment centres are closed, restaurants can only do takeout and residents can only socialize with their own household.
The threshold to reach Level 3 is 100 people being treated in hospital, or 50 people in intensive care. Currently, the province is in Level 2.
“What is being done to ensure our health-care system will be able to handle what’s coming based on what we’ve seen elsewhere,” asked New Brunswick Liberal Leader Roger Melanson, during a news conference Monday.
Melanson wonders if moving to Level 3 could alleviate some of that pressure on the system.
Green Party Leader David Coon made similar comments.
“The government should implement the Level 3 measures to limit public gatherings to slow the spread of COVID in communities with major outbreaks,” he said in a news release. “This will reduce community spread and should ease the pressure on our hospitals, enabling students to return to school more quickly.”
Coon said he’s particularly concerned about the situation in Saint John and Moncton regions, where active case counts are at least 3,176 and 2,152 respectively.
As of Monday, there are 86 people in hospital due to COVID-19, with 13 in intensive care.
Horizon Health said Monday 136 of its workers are off work after testing positive for the virus – but none of its hospitals are over capacity. However, Fredericton’s Chalmers Hospital in Fredericton is close, at 98 per cent capacity.
On Sunday, 201 PCR tests revealed positive results – much lower than what was being reported last week. That’s due to new testing protocols that only see those over 50 have access to a PCR test. The rest must rely on rapid screening tests.
Health Minister Dorothy Shephard said about 3,800 positive rapid tests have been reported to the province since the online portal was launched Jan. 5.
That number is up from 2,009 on Friday.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6940406.1720437216!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
Trudeau's 2024: Did the PM become less popular this year?
Justin Trudeau’s numbers have been relatively steady this calendar year, but they've also been at their worst, according to tracking data from CTV News pollster Nik Nanos.
Back on air: John Vennavally-Rao on reclaiming his career while living with cancer
'In February, there was a time when I thought my career as a TV reporter was over,' CTV News reporter and anchor John Vennavally-Rao writes.
The winter solstice is here, the Northern Hemisphere's darkest day
The winter solstice is Saturday, bringing the shortest day and longest night of the year to the Northern Hemisphere — ideal conditions for holiday lights and warm blankets.
What we know about the suspect behind the German Christmas market attack
Germany on Saturday was still in shock and struggling to understand the suspect behind the attack in the city of Magdeburg.
Poilievre writes to GG calling for House recall, confidence vote after Singh declares he's ready to bring Liberals down
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has written to Gov. Gen. Mary Simon, imploring her to 'use your authority to inform the prime minister that he must' recall the House of Commons so a non-confidence vote can be held. This move comes in light of NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh publishing a letter stating his caucus 'will vote to bring this government down' sometime in 2025.
Overheated immigration system needed 'discipline' infusion: minister
An 'overheated' immigration system that admitted record numbers of newcomers to the country has harmed Canada's decades-old consensus on the benefits of immigration, Immigration Minister Marc Miller said, as he reflected on the changes in his department in a year-end interview.
School custodian stages surprise for Kitchener, Ont. students ahead of holiday break
He’s no Elf on the Shelf, but maybe closer to Ward of the Board.
Kelly Clarkson's subtle yet satisfying message to anyone single this Christmas
The singer and daytime-talk show host released a fireside video to accompany her 2021 holiday album, “When Christmas Comes Around” that she dubbed, “When Christmas Comes Around…Again.
Pope Francis reprimands Vatican staff for gossiping in annual Christmas message
Pope Francis told Vatican bureaucrats on Saturday to stop speaking ill of one another, as he once again used his annual Christmas greetings to admonish the backstabbing and gossiping among his closest collaborators.