New Brunswick goes green; report seven new cases of COVID-19 Friday

HALIFAX -

New Brunswick is reporting seven new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, as the number of active cases in the province rises to 19.

Five new cases were identified in the Moncton region (Zone 1), involving an individual under 19, three people in their 20s, and an individual in their 30s. Three cases are under investigation, one is travel related and the other case is a contact of a previously confirmed case.

Two new cases were identified in the Fredericton region (Zone 3), involving an individual under 19 and an individual in their 30s. One case is travel related and another is under investigation.

N.B. TO MOVE TO GREEN PHASE OF REOPENING AT MIDNIGHT

New Brunswick will move into the Green phase of its recovery plan at midnight, lifting all public health restrictions and opening the province to travel.

As of 11:59 p.m. on July 30, the following restrictions will be removed in the province.

• Lift all mandatory travel and public health restrictions that have been in place over the course of the pandemic.
• Lift all provincial border restrictions; provincial border checks will cease, and registration will no longer be required to enter New Brunswick from anywhere in Canada.
• Lift all limits on gatherings and the number of people within facilities. Capacity limits in theatres, restaurants and stores will no longer be required.
• End the requirement to wear face masks in public.

"We came to this decision because we have reached our goal of 75 per cent of our eligible population having received their first vaccine, and are now at 81 per cent," said N.B. Premier Blaine Higgs during a news update. "We know that there will be new cases, but thanks to the amount of people that are already vaccinated, we do not think that our health care system will be threatened."

As of midnight Friday, all provincial border restrictions will be lifted, provincial border checks will cease, and registration will no longer be required to visit New Brunswick from anywhere in Canada.

However, travellers will still be subject to Canada's federal restrictions on International travel.

“At this time, patients, staff and visitors to all hospitals and health-care facilities, including COVID-19 assessment centres and vaccination clinics, must continue to wear masks to reduce the risk of transmission within the health-care system,” said Dr. Jennifer Russell, chief medical officer of health. “Any patient with a valid medical exemption to wearing a mask, is asked to call in advance to the department or service to ensure arrangements can be made to accommodate them.”

EXPOSURE NOTIFICATIONS

New Brunswick Public Health added the following to its list of public exposure notifications on Friday.

Zone 1 (Moncton region)

• July 26 - Maritime Bus Coach 1908 – from Moncton to Fredericton, departed at 4:20 p.m.
• July 23 between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. -- Tony's Bistro & Patisserie (137 McLaughlin Rd., Moncton)
• July 20 between 12:45 p.m. and 1:20 p.m., July 26 between noon and 1 p.m. and July 27 between 12:30 p.m. and 1 p.m. – Tony’s Bakery (50 rue du Marché, Dieppe)
• July 20 between 4 p.m. and 11:35 p.m., July 22 between 4:00 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., and July 23 between 11:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. – Carrabba’s Italian Grill Restaurant (1000 Main St., Moncton)
• July 21 between 7 p.m. and 1:30 a.m., July 22 between 4 p.m. and 01:30 a.m., July 23 between 6:30 p.m. and 3 a.m., July 24 between 2:00 p.m. and 03 a.m. and July 26 between 7:30 p.m. and 02:30 a.m.– The Third Glass Bar (819 Main St., Moncton)
• July 22 between 6:15 p.m. and 7:45 p.m. – Gusto’s Italian Grill and Bar (130 Westmorland Dr., Moncton)
• July 22 between 3:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. – Starbucks (361 Champlain St., Dieppe)

Zone 3 (Fredericton region)

• July 26 – Maritime Bus Coach 1908 – from Moncton to Fredericton, departed at 4:20 p.m.

Flight exposure notifications

• July 25 – Air Canada Flight 8904 – from Montreal to Moncton, departed at 7:54 p.m.
• July 25 – Air Canada Flight 7546 – from Toronto to Fredericton, departed at 2:27 p.m.

N.B. CASE DATA

New Brunswick has had 2,365 cumulative cases of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic.

In total, 2,299 people have recovered, and 46 people have died in the province from COVID-19.

There is currently no one hospitalized in New Brunswick due to COVID-19.

On Thursday, 748 tests were conducted in the province. A total of 380,447 tests have been conducted since the beginning of the pandemic.

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

• Zone 1 – Moncton region: 497 confirmed cases (seven active cases)
• Zone 2 – Saint John region: 302 confirmed cases (four active cases)
• Zone 3 – Fredericton region: 452 confirmed cases (five active cases)
• Zone 4 – Edmundston region: 754 confirmed cases (no active cases)
• Zone 5 – Campbellton region: 185 confirmed cases (no active cases)
• Zone 6 – Bathurst region: 136 confirmed cases (three 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 Friday, 1,031,439 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in New Brunswick. The province says 82 per cent of the eligible population has received at least one dose, with 66.7 per cent now fully vaccinated.

All eligible New Brunswickers can book their second dose appointments if at least 28 days have 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.

Public Health is also reminding New Brunswickers to keep a copy of their Record of Immunization form as their official proof of vaccination.

The provincial government has organized a series of mobile walk-in clinics for those who have not yet received their first or second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Clinics are taking place this week at the following locations:

• Knights of Columbus Hall (22 Hallett Rd., Beechwood) Friday, July 30, between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.

A mobile walk-in vaccination clinic will be held Monday at the Crowne Plaza at 659 Queen St. in Fredericton from noon to 5 p.m. The clinic will be for those who have not yet received their first or second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Pfizer will be available at this clinic.

YELLOW LEVEL REMINDER

All of New Brunswick remains under the Yellow level of recovery under the province’s order, which will be lifted effective 11:59 p.m. July 30.