N.B. reports 47th COVID-19 related death, 54 new cases over long weekend

HALIFAX -

Health officials in New Brunswick are reporting the province's 47th death related to COVID-19, involving an individual in their 70s in the Moncton region (Zone 1).

“I am saddened to learn that another person has lost their life as a result of COVID-19,” said Health Minister Dorothy Shephard. “On behalf of all New Brunswickers, I offer my deepest sympathies to the family and friends of this individual.”

“I ask all New Brunswickers to join me in extending heartfelt condolences to those who are grieving this loss,” said Dr. Jennifer Russell, chief medical officer of health. “In keeping with privacy legislation, we will not be disclosing the person’s vaccination status. The aim of Public Health is to provide information that helps other people protect themselves without allowing individual cases to be identified.”

The province is also reporting 54 new cases of COVID-19 over the Labour Day long weekend: 13 new cases on Sept. 4, 13 new cases on Sept. 5, 15 new cases on Sept. 6 and 13 new cases Monday.

Health officials are also reporting 54 recoveries, as the total number of active infections in the province drops to 125.

“I think we’re getting used to way they’re being recorded now, with the clumping of the weekend giving us that scary number of 54, but when you divide that up, it’s closer to about 13 a day, which is the low grumble that we’re in,” says Dr. Jeff Steeves, President of the New Brunswick Medical Society. 

Public Health says since July 1, 458 of the province’s 519 cases, or 88 per cent, were not considered fully vaccinated.

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

• two people ages 19 and under;
• seven people in their 20s
• two people in their 40s
• one person in their 60s
• one person in their 80s

Four cases are contacts of previously confirmed cases, one case is travel-related, six are under investigation and two are community transmission cases.

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

• two people ages 19 and under;
• three people in their 20s
• one person in their 40s
• three people in their 50s
• one person in their 60s
• one person in their 80s

Three cases are contacts of previously confirmed cases, six are travel-related and two are under investigation.

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

• five people ages 19 and under;
• four people in their 30s
• one person in their 60s
• one person in their 70s

Seven cases are contacts of previously confirmed cases and four are under investigation.

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

• three people in their 20s
• two people in their 30s
• two people in their 50s
• one person in their 60s

Six cases are contacts of previously confirmed cases, one case is travel-related and one is under investigation.

Four new cases were reported in the Bathurst region (Zone 6) involving:

• two people ages 19 and under;
• two people in their 20s

Three cases are contacts of previously confirmed cases and one is under investigation.

Seven new cases were reported in the Miramichi region (Zone 7) involving:

• one person age 19 and under
• two people in their 20s
• one person in their 30s
• one person in their 50s
• two people in their 60s

Six cases are contacts of previously confirmed cases and one case is travel-related.

There have been seven confirmed cases in the Metepenagiag First Nation near Miramichi.

“We feel it is contained at this moment, as everyone is isolating,” said Chief Bill Ward in a Facebook post.

There are currently four patients in hospital in New Brunswick due to COVID-19, with three patients in an intensive care unit.

VACCINE UPDATE

As of Monday, 76.2 per cent of New Brunswickers age 12 and older are fully vaccinated and 85.1 per cent have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

In total, 1,123,235 vaccine doses have been administered in New Brunswick.

When it comes to vaccinations, Fredericton pharmacist Alistair Bursey says while demand slowed down in August, it is starting to pick up again.

“A lot of people who were due for the second doses are coming for their second doses. We’re seeing an uptake in vaccination for people requiring it for work for their employment,” says Bursey.

“There has been a hesitancy that I didn’t expect,” adds Steeves. “I think if we had 85 per cent of first doses, that we could very quickly get our second doses to the same number. We need to get people fully vaccinated, and then close the gap on those who have no vaccinations yet.”

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

COVID-19 CASE DATA

New Brunswick has had 2,852 cumulative cases of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic.

In total, 2,679 people have recovered, and 47 people have died in the province from COVID-19.

Public health says a total of 416,965 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: 766 confirmed cases (43 active cases)
• Zone 2 – Saint John region: 336 confirmed cases (7 active cases)
• Zone 3 – Fredericton region: 532 confirmed cases (21 active cases)
• Zone 4 – Edmundston region: 790 confirmed cases (24 active case)
• Zone 5 – Campbellton region: 198 confirmed cases (9 active cases)
• Zone 6 – Bathurst region: 158 confirmed cases (10 active cases)
• Zone 7 – Miramichi region: 72 confirmed cases (11 active cases)

POTENTIAL PUBLIC EXPOSURES

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.