N.B. reports 6 new COVID-19 deaths, decrease in hospitalizations

Specimens to be tested for COVID-19 are seen at LifeLabs after being logged upon receipt at the company's lab, in Surrey, B.C., Thursday, March 26, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

New Brunswick is reporting six new COVID-19-related deaths in its latest reporting period.

The province is also reporting an additional 25 deaths that happened before Aug. 28, 2022.

"As noted previously, there’s typically a lag in reporting, as Public Health relies on SNB’s Vital Statistics for notifications of deaths," read the province's report.

"Due to the intricacies of the reporting process, which requires medical practitioners and funeral directors to file paperwork, the lag can sometimes be longer than usual."

Since the start of the pandemic, New Brunswick has reported 812 deaths related to the virus.

The data in Tuesday’s report covers between Jan. 29 and Feb. 4.

HOSPITALIZATIONS

The province is reporting a decrease in hospitalizations, with nine new hospital admissions this week, compared to 12 the week before.

As of Saturday, no one had been admitted into intensive care.

The province's report says, since Aug. 28, the rate of hospitalizations is highest among people aged 70 years and older.

NEW CASES

Health officials are reporting 339 new cases during the seven-day period, compared to 263 in the province's last report.

According to the data, 2,154 tests were completed during the current reporting period.

The regional breakdown of newly recorded COVID-19 cases is as follows:

• Zone 1: 86
• Zone 2: 49
• Zone 3: 70
• Zone 4: 18
• Zone 5: 32
• Zone 6: 67
• Zone 7: 17

SELF-REPORTED RAPID TESTS

New Brunswick provides the number of positive self-reported rapid tests in each reporting period.

Between Jan. 29 and Feb. 4, 133 rapid tests were reported to health officials.

The breakdown of those tests is as follows:

• Zone 1: 38
• Zone 2: 32
• Zone 3: 48
• Zone 4: 2
• Zone 5: 1
• Zone 6: 7
• Zone 7: 5

COVID-19 VARIANTS IN THE PROVINCE

Health officials in New Brunswick say a recent random sample sequenced between Jan. 23 and Jan. 30 shows 73 per cent of positive cases were the BA.5 variant.

Twenty-one per cent were the XBB variant and six per cent were BA.2. 

The province says 109 specimens were used for the sample.

VACCINATIONS

As of Saturday, 90.9 per cent of people in New Brunswick had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, 85.8 per cent had at least two doses, 54.6 per cent had one booster and 29.9 per cent had two boosters.

The province's full weekly report, along with previous reports, can be found online.