N.B. marks highest COVID-19 active case count at 1,141; announces back to school plan

New Brunswick’s Health Minister Dorothy Shephard says 11 more cases of the COVID-19 Omicron variant have been confirmed in the province, bringing the total cases of the variant to 14.

With 160 new cases and 70 recoveries reported Wednesday, the province has now reached its highest active case count ever, at 1,141.

Of Wednesday's new cases:

• 15 are in the Moncton region (Zone 1),
• 59 are in the Saint John region (Zone 2),
• 46 are in the Fredericton region (Zone 3),
• four are in the Edmundston region (Zone 4),
• four are in the Campbellton region (Zone 5),
• three are in the Bathurst region (Zone 6) and;
• 29 are in the Miramichi region (Zone 7).

"Children and teens are now the largest group among new daily infections and it has been a challenge to slow the spread of infection in this age group," said Shephard. “Please follow the simple steps required to help us do this. Follow all public health measures, including washing your hands and wearing a mask, and get vaccinated as soon as you are eligible.”

New Brunswick currently has 42 people in hospital, 14 of whom are in intensive care.

Of those in hospital, 24 are over the age of 60 and six people are on a ventilator. There is no one under 19 hospitalized.

"Six of the 42 people hospitalized were initially admitted for other reasons and contracted COVID-19 due to outbreaks at hospitals in Moncton, Saint John and Miramichi. Most of these people are exhibiting mild to moderate symptoms," wrote public health in a news release on Wednesday.

BACK TO SCHOOL PLAN

Shephard said there will be a “holiday testing blitz” where all children will be provided take-home rapid testing kits over the holidays.  

She says students in Kindergarten to Grade 6 will receive two take-home rapid testing kits, containing five tests each.

Students in Grade 7 to 12 will be provided one rapid COVID-19 test kit.

"This will enable children and teens to do rapid testing every two to three days over the holiday break," explained Shephard. "These tests will help us quickly identify new infections and slow the spread."   

New Brunswick's Education Minister Dominic Cardy released a plan for the rest of the school year, in response to the discovery of the Omicron variant and outbreaks in schools. The plan includes a more rigorous rapid testing program.

“As we face many unknown factors in light of the Omicron variant, we have reviewed our approach and guidelines for schools and child-care facilities to ensure they are able to address this rapidly evolving situation,” said Cardy. “With public health, we have developed plans aimed at keeping our children and young people healthy, safe and learning within the classroom to the greatest extent possible throughout the winter months.”

The plan, announced by Cardy during a live COVID-19 news conference on Wednesday, provides schools and early learning and early child-care facilities with direction on operations in alignment with the province's three-level alert system.

The new plans for early learning and child care comes into effect on Dec. 20, while the new plans for schools comes into effect on Jan 10.

SCHOOLS MEASURES UNDER LEVEL 1

• whenever a case is confirmed at a school, rapid testing will be expanded to include all students in Kindergarten to Grade 8 and non-vaccinated high school students;
• class groupings will be used for students in Kindergarten to Grade 8;
• masks will be required indoors;
• masks will be required outdoors, with exceptions for K-8 students who are within their grouping;
• there will be limited singing and limited use of wind instruments; and
• visitors will be limited.

EARLY LEARNING, AFTER-SCHOOL CHILD-CARE FACILITIES' MEASURES UNDER LEVEL 1

• children will be in groups of no more than 20;
• children aged two and under will not be required to wear masks;
• children aged three to five will be required to wear masks when not in their group;
• children five and older and staff will be required to wear masks unless eating or drinking;
• visitors will be limited; and
• there will be limited singing and limited use of wind instruments.

The new plan also provides direction to schools and facilities on extracurricular activities, sports, spectators, physical education, field trips, and the use of school spaces.

Sports and extracurricular sports will be allowed under Level 1 of the province’s winter plan, however students over 12 must be vaccinated in order to participate. Masks continue to be required in physical education or music classes (unless playing wind instruments, which will require more physical distancing).

"Field trips in Level 1 will be permitted, following grade level appropriate restrictions and vaccination requirements," said Cardy.

At Level 2, Cardy says sports will be limited to skills and drills for children 12 and over who are vaccinated. Spectators will be limited to 50 per cent capacity, and extracurricular and sports will be paused for those under the age of 12.

If the province enters Level 3, no sports or extracurricular activities will be permitted.

The full plan can be found on the province's website.

OUTBREAK DECLARED AT MIRAMICHI REGIONAL HOSPITAL

In a news release Wednesday evening, the Horizon Health Network declared a COVID-19 outbreak in two units at the Miramichi Regional Hospital after inpatients and staff tested positive for the virus.

According to Horizon, the outbreaks are on 4 East Alternate Level of Care and 2 West Medical Stepdown Unit.

On Tuesday, one patient and two health-care workers on 4 East tested positive. Contact tracing was competed and a second inpatient case was identified on 2 West.

Horizon has implemented comprehensive Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) precautions.

"All patients have been isolated to their rooms, enhanced cleaning has been implemented, contact tracing is ongoing and patients are being monitored closely for COVID-19 symptoms," read the release.

The release says patients and health-care workers on the affected units are being tested and so far, no further cases have been identified.

Due to the outbreak, there will be no patient admissions or transfers to and from the two units during this time.

"MRH will continue to provide essential services and safe and quality care to patients. This means surgeries, labour and birth services, palliative care, ambulatory care and professional services appointments will continue," the release said.

Individuals are being asked to only visit the MRH emergency department if they have a medical emergency.

The public will be notified of any temporary service closures or interruptions.

Horizon's Designated Support Person (DSP) program will be temporarily suspended on these units and Horizon's existing visitor restrictions remain in place.

Horizon says the temporary measures are in place to ensure the health and safety of all patients and clients, staff, physicians, and the community.

INTERIM MEASURES REMAIN IN PLACE

Intermin measures, which were announced Dec. 13, remain in place. That includes:

• Organized sport and all other organized activities for children under 12 are prohibited.
• For those 12 and older, practices and skills drills are permitted involving only a single team at a time, under an operational plan that includes a reasonable effort to ensure distancing and sanitization.
• Students in kindergarten through Grade 6 will begin their holiday break on Friday, Dec.17, at the end of the regular school day. This is one week ahead of schedule.

In addition:

• The last day of classes for students in Grades 7 and 8 will be Tuesday, Dec. 21. For students in Grades 9-12 there will be a noon dismissal on Thursday, Dec. 23.
• For the week of Dec. 20, cafeterias, assemblies and concerts will be limited to 50 per cent capacity. These events should take place virtually whenever possible. If attending in person, then families attending concerts must be vaccinated.

“We know that families want to be able to gather over the holidays,” said Cardy. “Our goal is to keep our students healthy and safe and slow the spread of COVID-19 leading into the holiday season through the interim measures we imposed on Monday, Dec. 13, along with the rapid testing program.”

Information on schools and child-care facilities impacted by COVID-19 is available on the Healthy and Safe Schools website and on the COVID-19 dashboard.

VACCINE UPDATE

Health officials say 82.4 per cent of eligible New Brunswickers are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, while 88.9 per cent have received their first dose and 10.2 per cent have received a booster dose.

As of Wednesday, 31 per cent of children aged five to 12 have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine and more than 17,000 appointments are scheduled for that age group.

In response to the arrival of the Omicron variant in New Brunswick and elsewhere across Canada, the provincial government is reminding residents of temporary measures announced Monday, Dec. 13, to help slow the spread of transmission.

Walk-in clinics have been added in areas with high demand for those eligible for a booster dose. A full list of walk-in clinics is available online.

A detailed list of those eligible for a booster dose is also available online.

NON-ESSENTIAL TRAVEL NOT RECOMMENDED

During a Tuesday evening call between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Canadian health officials and provincial premiers, Omicron and travel recommendations were discussed, according to Shephard.

She attended the call, as well as Premier Blaine Higgs, and said every province felt communication with citizens about COVID-19 measures is becoming more and more difficult.

Shephard said New Brunswick spoke to its travel concerns too.

“We spoke to the fact that Maine case numbers are rising really fast, we know that our neighbours all have concerns,” she said. “We certainly put forward the suggestion that we wouldn’t mind seeing travel restrictions coming from Maine, at the U.S. border. I don’t know if we got an indication that that was going to happen.”

She says New Brunswick didn’t push for “absolute border management” at Quebec or Nova Scotia points of entry, but Shephard said they are in favour of limiting non-essential travel.

LEVEL I PHASE OF COVID-19 WINTER PLAN

All of New Brunswick is currently in the Level 1 phase of the Winter Plan to manage COVID-19.

More information on the plan is available online.

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.