N.B. reports four new deaths related to COVID-19 Thursday, at-home learning extended for one week

New Brunswick health officials reported four new deaths related to COVID-19 on Thursday.

Public health says the deaths involve:

• a person aged 90 and over in the Moncton region (Zone 1)
• a person in their 60s in the Fredericton region (Zone 3)
• a person in their 50s in the Edmundston region (Zone 4)
• a person in their 80s in the Edmundston region (Zone 4)

There are also 104 people hospitalized in New Brunswick due to COVID-19 on Thursday, nine of whom are in intensive care.

Of those currently in hospital:

• 76 are over the age of 60
• three are on a ventilator
• 78 per cent are either unvaccinated, partially vaccinated, or it has been six months since their second dose
• three people are under the age of 19

AT-HOME LEARNING EXTENDED FOR ONE WEEK

Online learning for New Brunswick students will be extended by one week to encompass the period of Level 3 restrictions.

"This means that students will not return to in-class learning until Monday, Jan. 31," reads a release from the province.

Public health adds that a small number of students who have been identified by schools and districts as being vulnerable or at-risk will be able to continue learning in person.

LONG-TERM CARE BEDS

The Department of Social Development is working with long-term care home operators to create new emergency long-term care beds throughout the province as a short-term solution to help reduce pressure on the health-care system.

Public health says these beds will provide alternate placements for patients who are waiting in hospitals until a bed in their preferred location becomes available.

“In this challenging time, we need to look at all possible options to make sure that we can all get through this together,” said Social Development Minister Bruce Fitch. “We need to support each other, and we are asking family members to do everything they can to provide support to their loved ones, living at home or in a long-term care facility, where visitors are allowed.”

The Department of Social Development will work with long-term care home operators to ensure the needs of clients are met. Residents occupying emergency long-term care beds will remain on waitlists for the facility of their choice.

According to a release from the province, there are about 556 long-term care facilities in New Brunswick, including nursing homes, special care homes, memory care homes and community residences, with a total of 13,000 beds.

BOOSTER APPOINTMENTS

Since Monday, Jan. 10, more than 26,500 appointments were booked for a COVID-19 booster dose.

Booster shots in New Brunswick are now available to everyone aged 18 and older, as long as five months have passed since their second dose.

UPDATES TO PROVINCIAL IMMUNIZATION REGISTRY

Public health says a necessary system upgrade affecting the provincial immunization registry in the Public Health Information Solution will affect access to immunization records through the MyHealthNB website this weekend.

From 11 p.m. on Friday until Monday, the province says there will be a delay or limited access in displaying new immunization records and proof of vaccination documents.

The registry upgrade will not affect access to PCR test results through MyHealthNB.

RAPID TEST AND PCR RESULTS

Health officials say the COVID-19 online dashboard has been updated to include both PCR and rapid-test results.

People with COVID-19 symptoms are required to register online for a PCR test or rapid test under the provincial government’s testing strategy. Those who receive a positive rapid-test result are reminded to submit their result online through the self-reporting web portal.