N.B. to move to Level 1 of COVID-19 Winter Plan on Feb. 18

New Brunswick will wait 10 more days before moving to Level 1 of its COVID-19 Winter Plan.

On Feb. 18 at midnight, Premier Blaine Higgs says the province will make the move.

Under Level 1:

• larger indoor and outdoor gatherings are allowed
• businesses including entertainment centres, gyms and spas will not have to keep capacity limits
• restaurants will still have to ask for proof of vaccination
• masks must continue to be worn in indoor public spaces, outdoors when physical distancing cannot be maintained.
• singing will be permitted at faith venues, but masks will be required

"We're looking at the end of the winter to move the measures that are part of the winter plan, meaning the end of all COVID-19 restrictions on businesses and the public. We will need to see hospitalizations go down as projected and ensure that our health-care system is not placed under unnecessary strain but the end of the mandates is certainly in sight," said Higgs.

No matter what, Higgs says the decision will be based on science, "as all of our COVID-19 have been."

Dr. Jennifer Russell says while they are seeing a decline in hospitalizations over the last week, public health asked for the restrictions to continue for one more week to protect the health-care system a little longer. On Wednesday, 139 people were in hospital with COVID-19, down from a peak of 165 last week.

"Our modeling predicts that we can safely reduce public health measures if we keep the current restrictions in place for at least another week," she said.

Isolation requirements are changing. Dr. Russell says now, public health will focus on specific symptoms like fever, loss of taste or smell - those people will be asked to isolate and arrange to be tested. If experiencing other symptoms, people should isolate and seek testing only if two or more symptoms are present.

Dr. Russell says all New Brunswickers can now receive Moderna or Pfizer for their first, second or third dose. The province had to limit Pfizer to those under 30 because of supply issues.

PEOPLE 30 AND OLDER NOW ELIGIBLE FOR PFIZER VACCINE AS A BOOSTER

The province has obtained more doses of the Pfizer booster and is now allowing people 30 and older to book an appointment to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech Comirnaty COVID-19 vaccine for their booster shot.

“The Pfizer booster doses had been reserved for people 12-29 because the slight risk of myocarditis/pericarditis for people in this age group is reduced with this vaccine,” reads a news release from the province.

The province is encouraging anyone that already has an appointment to receive the Moderna Spikevax vaccine to keep the appointment in order to reduce vaccine wastage.

Those 12 or over are now eligible to receive a booster dose of the Pfizer vaccine with informed consent, as long as at least five months have passed since their second dose.

Those 12 to 17 who are moderately to severely immunocompromised due to a medical condition or treatment can also now book the third dose of their mRNA vaccine if at least 28 days have passed since their second dose. Children aged five to 11 are eligible to receive their second dose eight weeks after their first.

Vaccine appointments can be booked online or by calling 1-833-437-1424.

UPDATED ISOLATION AND TESTING REQUIREMENTS

Public health has made changes to isolation and testing requirements.

Moving forward, people with one of the following symptoms should isolate and get tested for COVID-19:

• fever
• loss of sense of taste
• loss of sense of smell

Those with two or more of the following symptoms should isolate and get tested for COVID-19:

• a new cough or worsening chronic cough
• difficulty breathing
• runny nose
• sore throat
• headache
• diarrhea
• new onset of fatigue
• purple markings on fingers or toes of children

“While the earliest signs and symptoms vary depending upon factors like a person’s age and the variant they have contracted, stand-alone symptoms like elevated body temperature and loss of taste or smell are more specific early indicators that someone is infected with COVID-19,” said Russell. “This new approach to isolation and testing will help identify COVID-19 cases, while preventing unnecessary absences from school and work.”

The province says people with one symptom, other than fever or loss of taste or smell, should continue to self-monitor and should isolate and get tested if a second symptom develops, even if the symptoms are mild. People with only one symptom can still choose to get tested at any time.

People who are isolating after a member of their household has tested positive should continue to take a COVID-19 test if a single symptom develops during their isolation period.

SIX NEW DEATHS

Public health in New Brunswick reported six new deaths related to COVID-19 on Wednesday.

According to the province’s online dashboard, the deaths involve:

• a person in their 60s in the Moncton region (Zone 1)
• a person in their 70s and a person aged 90 and over in the Saint John region (Zone 2)
• a people in their 70s in the Bathurst region (Zone 6)
• a person in their 80s in the Miramichi region (Zone 7)

There have been 275 deaths reported in New Brunswick since the start of the pandemic.

According to the province, 55.81 per cent of the deaths have been in people with partial or no vaccine protection, while 44.19 per cent were "protected," which public health defines as boosted or fully vaccinated less than six months.

HOSPITALIZATIONS

The number of people in hospital with COVID-19 has dropped slightly, with 139 people currently receiving care.

Of those in hospital, 62 were admitted due to COVID-19, while 77 were admitted for other reasons, but tested positive for the virus.

Fifteen people are in intensive care with COVID-19 on Wednesday. Of those, 12 patients were admitted to the unit due to the virus, and three were admitted for other reasons, but have tested positive for COVID-19.

Seven people are currently on ventilators in New Brunswick.

NEW CASES

There were 321 new PCR-confirmed cases of COVID-19 reported Wednesday in New Brunswick.

Officials also reported 573 new cases using rapid tests.

The breakdown of the new PCR-confirmed cases by health zone is as follows:

• Zone 1 – the Moncton region – 107 new cases
• Zone 2 – the Saint John region – 32 new cases
• Zone 3 – the Fredericton region - 67 new cases
• Zone 4 – the Edmundston region – 37 new cases
• Zone 5 – the Campbellton region – 17 new cases
• Zone 6 – the Bathurst region – 39 new cases
• Zone 7 – the Miramichi region - 21 new cases

According to the online dashboard, there are 3,315 active cases of the virus confirmed in New Brunswick.

HEALTH-CARE WORKERS IN ISOLATION

On Wednesday, there were a total of 329 health-care workers who had tested positive for COVID-19 and were isolating.

Here is a breakdown of the health-care workers isolating:

• Vitalité Health Network - 113
• Horizon Health Network - 178
• Ambulance New Brunswick - 38

VACCINATION UPDATE

As of Wednesday, 92.4 per cent of New Brunswickers have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, 85.6 per cent are fully vaccinated with two doses of vaccine, and 46.8 per cent have now received a booster dose.

In total, 1,687,680 doses of the vaccine have been administered in New Brunswick.