N.B. reports two new COVID-19 cases Thursday; active infections drop to 40

HALIFAX -

Health officials in New Brunswick are reporting two new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday.

One case is in the province's Moncton region (Zone 1) and involves an individual in their 40s. This case remains under investigation, according to public health.

One case is in the Fredericton region (Zone 3) and involves an individual in their 70s. This case is a close contact to a previously reported case.

Five previously reported infections in New Brunswick are now considered recovered, with the total number of active cases dropping to 40 - the lowest number of active cases the province has seen since mid-March.

N.B. COVID-19 CASE DATA

New Brunswick has had 2,322 cumulative cases of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic.

In total, 2,236 people have recovered, and 45 people have died in the province from COVID-19.

Six people are currently in hospital with COVID-19, including two in an intensive care unit.

In a news release from public health, it says 608 tests were completed on Wednesday in New Brunswick, and 359,298 total since the start of the pandemic.

The number of cases are broken down by New Brunswick’s seven health zones:

• Zone 1 – Moncton region: 475 confirmed cases (1 active case)
• Zone 2 – Saint John region: 298 confirmed cases (3 active cases)
• Zone 3 – Fredericton region: 442 confirmed cases (22 active cases)
• Zone 4 – Edmundston region: 752 confirmed cases (no active cases)
• Zone 5 – Campbellton region: 185 confirmed cases (no active cases)
• Zone 6 – Bathurst region: 131 confirmed cases (14 active cases)
• Zone 7 – Miramichi region: 39 confirmed cases (no active cases)

VACCINE UPDATE

New Brunswick's COVID-19 online dashboard provides an update on the amount of vaccines that have been administered to date.

As of Thursday, 693,708 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in New Brunswick. The province says 76.7 per cent of the eligible population has received at least one dose, with 23.3 per cent now fully vaccinated.

In a news release from the province on Thursday, it says more than 12,000 second doses of COVID-19 vaccine were administered on Wednesday.

"Over the past seven days, nearly 72,000 first and second doses of a COVID-19 vaccine have been administered across the province, and more than 91,000 people have booked appointments for a Vitalité or Horizon health network clinic," wrote the province in a release.

Public health says those numbers do not include individuals who have booked appointments through a pharmacy.

Eligible New Brunswickers can book a second-dose vaccine appointment if at least 28 days has passed since their first dose.

To receive their second dose, New Brunswickers are asked to bring a signed consent form, their Medicare card and a copy of the record of immunization provided after receiving their first dose.

Appointments for people who have not yet received their first dose continue to be available to all New Brunswickers aged 12 and older at regional health authority clinics and through participating pharmacies.

VACCINE SHIPMENT DELAYED

Health officials in New Brunswick say a Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine shipment that was expected to arrive in the province this week has been delayed, however they added the delay will not impact second dose clinics.

For individuals under the age of 55 who received the AstraZeneca vaccine as their first dose, it is recommended that an mRNA vaccine is scheduled for the second dose, unless informed otherwise.

"If you are 55 or older, you can receive a second dose of AstraZeneca or of an mRNA vaccine," read the release. "People who have received two doses of AstraZeneca can rest assured that the vaccine provides protection against infection, severe disease and hospitalization."

YELLOW LEVEL REMINDER

All of New Brunswick remains under the Yellow level of recovery under the province’s order.