N.B. reports 156 new cases of COVID-19 Tuesday, 1,268 active cases

New Brunswick is reporting 156 new cases of COVID-19 Tuesday. With 157 recoveries, there are now 1,268 active cases in the province.

Of the new cases, 47 are in Zone 1 (Moncton region), 39 are in Zone 2 (Saint John region), 34 are in Zone 3 (Fredericton region), 10 are in Zone 4 (Edmundston region), two are in Zone 5 (Campbellton region), four are in Zone 6 (Bathurst region) and 20 are in Zone 7 (Miramichi region).

There are 41 patients in hospital with COVID-19 in New Brunswick, 19 of whom are in intensive care. Of those in hospital, 26 are over the age of 60 and 10 people are on a ventilator. There is no one under 19 hospitalized.

Five of the 41 people hospitalized were initially admitted for other reasons and contracted COVID-19 due to outbreaks at hospitals in Moncton, Saint John, Fredericton and Miramichi.

“We had all hoped for a better end to this year, but the virus is still with us. It will continue to be with us for some time to come. Therefore, we must do everything we can to keep ourselves, our families, and our communities safe during this holiday season,” said Dr. Jennifer Russell, chief medical officer of health.

“The Omicron variant is far more contagious than the versions of the COVID-19 virus that we have seen thus far in this pandemic.”

Russell says, when Omicron replaces Delta as the dominant strain in New Brunswick, as is happening elsewhere, public health expects the number of COVID-19 infections will double every three days.

“At that pace, our modeling suggests we could see up to 250 new cases each day by early January and as many as 400 new cases a day by the end of next month.”

Russell says the interim measures introduced last week in New Brunswick will help to slow the spread of the virus, at least temporarily, but it won’t stop it.

“No one should expect that we will escape the aggressive spread of this virus that our neighbours are already experiencing. That is why we will have to do more in the days and weeks ahead to buy us the time we need to get even more New Brunswickers vaccinated and boosted,” said Russell.

“Vaccines remain the best protection we have, which is why it is so important that every New Brunswicker gets fully vaccinated as soon as possible.”

LEVEL 2 RESTRICTIONS

Based on a recommendation from public health, all zones in the province will move to Level 2 of the COVID-19 Winter Plan. The move to Level 2 will go into effect on Monday, Dec. 27 at 11:59 p.m. and the following restrictions will be in place:

• The current household plus Steady 20 is replaced with household plus Steady 10.
• Patrons dining at restaurants must show proof of vaccination and tables must be at least two metres apart.
• Restaurants, retail stores, malls, businesses, gyms, salons and spas, and entertainment centres may continue to operate, but at 50 per cent capacity and with two metres of distance between patrons.
• For public gatherings, venues cannot have events with more than 150 people or 50 per cent capacity, whichever is less.
• Faith venues may operate at 50 per cent capacity and with physical distancing. Choirs are not permitted but one soloist may perform if they are at least four metres from the congregation.
• All travellers, including New Brunswickers returning to the province, must register or have a multi-use travel pass. Travellers arriving by air will be provided with a rapid test kit.
• Unvaccinated people entering the province must isolate and be tested on day 10. International travellers must follow federal testing and isolation guidelines and must be tested on day five and day 10.
• Travellers must follow public health measures when in New Brunswick including wearing a mask, physically distancing and staying within a Steady 10.

CONTACT TRACING

Starting Tuesday, contact tracers will no longer be notifying close contacts of confirmed COVID-19 cases. This will now be the responsibility of those who are infected.

Public health contact tracers will now only contact the person who tested positive, or their employer, and will provide them with isolation and testing guidance, as well as instructions on how to notify their close contacts using template letters. Public health will only step in for contact notifications if no other means are available.

Russell says public health will take specific actions to limit the spread of cases in schools. When an infection is confirmed in a K-8 school, the entire school will be considered close contacts. All students and staff will be required to take daily point-of-care tests. In high schools, this rule will apply to the infected student’s classes and those who travel on the same school bus.

“With these protocols we aim to continue to be able to provide notice to any infected person in a high-risk setting within 24 to 48 hours,” said Russell.

BOOSTER ELIGIBILITY EXPANDED

As of Tuesday, 82.7 per cent of New Brunswickers are fully vaccinated, 89.6 per cent have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and 14.8 per cent have received a booster dose.

“The more people who are vaccinated, the less severe our outbreaks will be,” said Dorothy Shephard, health minister.

New Brunswick is expanding booster eligibility to include immediate household members, who are 18 and over, of those who are working in long-term care facilities, hospitals, and schools. In addition, those who work at early childhood centres and daycares, and immediate household members who are 18 and over, will be eligible if the individual is 158 days since their second dose.

“We will expand eligibility to other age groups in the coming weeks, with 40 year olds expected to be eligible in early January,” said Russell.