N.B. retires COVID-19 dashboard, launches new website for data; 9 deaths reported Tuesday

New Brunswick has retired its COVID-19 dashboard and launched a new website to report the province’s data.

The website, COVIDWATCH, will be updated with COVID-19 data every Tuesday. The webpage includes data up to and including the previous Saturday.

"A highlights infographic will contain information such as intensive care unit (ICU) admissions, hospitalizations, deaths, rapid test and PCR test results and vaccination rates," said the province in a news release

A more detailed report is also available. It includes a seven-day average of confirmed COVID-19 cases and the number of cases with breakdowns by zone and age.

Moving forward, the New Brunswick government says the number of hospitalizations will only include people who have been hospitalized for COVID-19, to align with reporting practices in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador.

The province is no longer reporting the number of patients on ventilators and the number of health-care workers off due to COVID-19. Those numbers will still be available from the regional health authorities, however.

“These changes better reflect the usual surveillance and reporting of communicable diseases,” said the provincial government. “As the province continues to transition to living with COVID-19, ongoing reports will aim to communicate the risks of severe disease.”

NINE MORE DEATHS REPORTED

New Brunswick health officials reported an increase in PCR-confirmed cases and hospitalizations, but a decrease in deaths related to COVID-19 Tuesday.

The province confirmed nine more deaths related to COVID-19 in its weekly update. This is a decrease of four deaths from last week’s report of 13.

Tuesday’s numbers cover case data between March 27 and April 2.

According to the province’s COVIDWATCH, 358 people in New Brunswick have died from the virus since the start of the pandemic.

The province says 78 people were admitted to hospital because of COVID-19, an increase of 31 hospitalizations from the 47 reported last week.

There are currently nine people in intensive care, an increase of four from the last weekly report.

The province says most people in hospital for COVID-19 are in their 60s and 70s.

NEW CASES

New Brunswick is reporting 3,888 new PCR-confirmed cases of COVID-19. Currently, there are 6,134 active cases in New Brunswick.

New Brunswick is also reporting 4,782 new positive cases identified by rapid tests.

VACCINE UPDATE

According to the province’s COVIDWATCH, 93 per cent of eligible New Brunswickers have received one dose of vaccine, 87.7 per cent have had two doses and 51.4 per cent have had their booster dose.