N.B. reports 107th COVID-19 related death, 40 new cases Saturday

HALIFAX -

New Brunswick is reporting another COVID-19 related death on Saturday, bringing the total number of deaths related to the virus to 107.

The latest death involves a person in their 70s in the Edmundston region (Zone 4).

“I was saddened to learn that another person has died due to COVID-19,” said N.B. Premier Blaine Higgs in a news release. “We are optimistic that our numbers will continue to improve, but to make that happen everyone must continue to follow the measures in place.”

“I want to send heartfelt condolences to those who are grieving the loss of their loved one,” added Dr. Jennifer Russell, chief medical officer of health. “I encourage all New Brunswickers to do their part to put our province in a better position to fight this virus.”

The province has reported 35 COVID-19 related deaths since Friday, Oct. 8.

40 NEW CASES SATURDAY

Health officials in New Brunswick are also reporting 40 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, along with 81 recoveries, as the total number of active cases in the province drops to 689.

According to health officials, 21 of Saturday's 40 new cases, or 52.5 per cent, are unvaccinated. Five cases, or 12.5 per cent, are partially vaccinated, and 14 cases, or 35 per cent, are fully vaccinated.

The province says there are currently 43 people in hospital in New Brunswick due to COVID-19, with 13 in an intensive care unit. Of those currently in hospital, 22 are unvaccinated, two are partially vaccinated, and 19 are fully vaccinated.

Of the 13 people in the ICU, none are fully vaccinated, 12 are unvaccinated, and one is partially vaccinated.

"What we are seeing now, is basically a surge in the number of cases, and I think it has to do with loosening of restrictions in the summer, probably after July,” says Dr. Zahid Butt an infectious disease epidemiologist and assistant professor at the University of Waterloo's School of Public Health Sciences.

Although there are circuit-breakers in effect for different parts of the province, Dr. Butt believes a circuit breaker should be extended to all of New Brunswick to slow the fourth wave.

"This is the Delta variant, so the Delta variant is highly transmissable so you'd have to go one step ahead of the virus," says Butt. "You cannot wait to see another region turning into a hotspot before you implement another circuit breaker lockdown."

Meanwhile, New Brunswick’s opposition leader is calling for more resources from the province to go towards better control at our borders.

"Right now there's no control points, and for me, that's a serious concern," says Roger Melanson, leader of New Brunswick’s Liberal opposition. "People who do enter New Brunswick need to register online and need to prove online through their registration that they're double vaxxed, but there's no checkpoints - people can come in anyway, doubly vaxxed or not." 

New Brunswick has had 6,112 cumulative cases of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic.

In total, 5,315 people have recovered and 107 people have died in the province from COVID-19.

Public health says a total of 516,313 COVID-19 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: 1,771 confirmed cases (288 active cases)
• Zone 2 – Saint John region: 578 confirmed cases (59 active cases)
• Zone 3 – Fredericton region: 1,265 confirmed cases (99 active cases)
• Zone 4 – Edmundston region: 1,403 confirmed cases (104 active case)
• Zone 5 – Campbellton region: 654 confirmed cases (108 active cases)
• Zone 6 – Bathurst region: 286 confirmed cases (13 active cases)
• Zone 7 – Miramichi region: 155 confirmed cases (18 active cases)

Eleven new cases were reported in the Moncton region (Zone 1) involving:

• four people age 19 and under
• one person in their 20s
• two people in their 30s
• three people in their 40s
• one person in their 70s

All 11 cases are under investigation.

Nine new cases were reported in the Saint John region (Zone 2) involving:

• four people age 19 and under
• three people in their 20s
• two people in their 60s

All nine cases under investigation.

Seven new cases were reported in the Fredericton region (Zone 3) involving:

• one person in their 20s
• one person in their 30s
• four people in their 40s
• one person in their 50s

All seven cases are under investigation

Seven new cases were reported in the Edmundston region (Zone 4) involving:

• three people in their 20s
• one person in their 30s
• one person in their 40s
• two people in their 60s

All seven cases are under investigation.

Five new cases were reported in the Campbellton region (Zone 5) involving:

• one person age 19 and under
• two people in their 30s
• one person in their 40s
• one person in their 60s

All five cases are under investigation.

One new case was reported in the Bathurst region (Zone 6) involving a person age 19 and under, and is under investigation.

VACCINE UPDATE

As of Friday, 83.6 per cent of New Brunswickers age 12 and older are fully vaccinated and 92.1 per cent have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

In total, 1,223,009 vaccine doses have been administered in New Brunswick.

All provincial government employees, staff in long-term care facilities and staff and volunteers in schools and licensed early learning and child-care facilities must be fully vaccinated by Friday, Nov. 19.

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

POTENTIAL PUBLIC EXPOSURES

A full list of potential COVID-19 exposure notifications in New Brunswick can be found on the province's website.

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.