New Brunswick reinstates restrictions amid the worst of the fourth wave so far
As of 11:59 on Friday, New Brunswick has returned to a state of emergency due to a rising number of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.
The province dropped all COVID-19 related restrictions on July 30, but during a technical briefing on Friday, Horizon Health’s infectious disease specialist Dr. Gordon Dow acknowledged that decision was a mistake.
"Did we under call this one? I would say yes and I would say most of New Brunswickers would agree with that," said Dow.
"But I would also say that we got it right 85 per cent of the time and now what we’re going to do is pivot and bring this under control."
New Brunswick reported 61 new cases on Saturday and one death. There are 32 people currently in hospital with the virus and 12 are in an intensive care unit.
In an effort to control the spread, the province is enforcing additional restrictions which include asking people to limit their contacts to their household plus 20 consistent contacts. That number also applies to indoor private gatherings.
Physical distancing is being enforced again in businesses, during services, or at events where proof of vaccination isn’t required.
Jean-Claude D’amours, the MLA for the Edmundston Madawaska Centre, says he has heard from many health care workers who are feeling the strain of the fourth wave.
"They are all saying that they are stressed to a level that they have rarely seen, entering this crisis."
With the increased need for COVID-19 testing, the province now requires even more health care workers to help keep up with the demand and prevent delays.
"In some areas, it takes longer than others to get tested but this is not acceptable. We need to be quick and make sure that the test is done quickly and that the result is provided quickly," said D’amours.
Since proof of vaccination is not currently required for employees of businesses, business owners are busy making sure their staff receives rapid tests regularly.
John Wishart, the CEO of the Greater Moncton Chamber of Commerce, said that they’ve been contacted now more than ever for rapid tests.
"They have to ask their employees to be vaccinated or regularly tested. In the last week, we’ve had 200 businesses reach out to us which is a huge spike."
With 78.9 percent of the eligible population fully vaccinated, the province has pointed to public health measures being the best defense against the new strain of the Delta variant, which has made up for 85 percent of the cases this month.
"It’s the fastest spreading variant so far," said Dow.
He expects that with these new measures in place, the province will be able to flatten the curve within two weeks.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Police investigating shooting outside of Drake's Bridle Path mansion: source
Toronto police are investigating a shooting that took place outside of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion early Tuesday morning, a source tells CP24.
Canadian cadets rock mullets and place second at U.S. military competition
Sporting mullets, Canadian Armed Forces officer cadets placed second in an annual military skills competition in the U.S.
'It looked so legit': Ontario man pays $7,700 for luxury villa found on Booking.com, but the listing was fake
An Ontario man says he paid more than $7,700 for a luxury villa he found on a popular travel website -- but the listing was fake.
The Met Gala was in full bloom with Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Mindy Kaling among the standout stars
The Met Gala and its fashionista A-listers on Monday included Jennifer Lopez, Zendaya and a parade of others in a swirl of flora and fauna looks on a green-tinged carpet lined by live foliage.
There's actually no such thing as vegetables. Here's why you should eat them anyway
The rumours are true: Vegetables aren't real — that is, in botany, anyway. While the term fruit is recognized botanically as anything that contains a seed or seeds, vegetable is actually a broad umbrella term.
Noelia Voigt resigns as Miss USA, citing her mental health
Noelia Voigt, who was crowned Miss USA in November 2023, has announced she is resigning from her role, saying the decision is in the best interest of her mental health.
Highlights from the 2024 Met Gala exhibit: Sleeping Beauty would wake up for these gowns
Sure, she was a royal princess and all. But there’s no way Sleeping Beauty — either before or after her nap — ever had quite the fabulous wardrobe that’s been assembled at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Stormy Daniels is expected to appear at Trump's hush money trial on Tuesday
Donald Trump returns to the hush money trial Tuesday facing a threat of jail time for additional gag order violations as prosecutors gear up to summon big-name witnesses including porn actor Stormy Daniels.
Israeli forces seize Rafah border crossing in Gaza, putting ceasefire talks on knife's edge
Israeli tanks seized control of Gaza's vital Rafah border crossing on Tuesday as Israel brushed off urgent warnings from close allies and moved into the southern city even as cease-fire negotiations with Hamas remained on a knife's edge.