HALIFAX -- New Brunswick is reporting 10 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday. Seven previously reported cases are now considered recovered, as the active number of cases in the province increases to 153.

Nine of Sunday's new cases were identified in the Edmundston region (Zone 4). They involve:

  • three people 19 and under;
  • an individual 20-29;
  • three people 30-39;
  • an individual 40-49; and
  • an individual 50-59.

Six of the nine new cases in the Edmundston region are contacts of a previously reported case and the other three are under investigation.

One new case was reported in the Saint John region (Zone 2), involving an individual 40-49, and is travel related.

New Brunswick's chief doctor says she is concerned about other potential hotspots emerging in the province.

"Because of the variants taking over most other countries, including our own in other provinces, that means all new cases coming into the province are mostly variants," says Russell, noting that the variants are known to be more aggressive, transmissible and can cause more symptoms in younger people.

CASES CONFIRMED AT TWO EDMUNDSTON SCHOOLS

Public Health also announced Sunday that positive cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed at two schools in the Edmundston area.

An additional positive case of COVID-19 has been confirmed at École Saint-Jacques, in Edmundston, and the school community has been notified. Public Health has advised students and staff to self-isolate until midnight on Friday, April 23. Testing of the school community will take place.

A possible exposure to a positive case of COVID-19 has been confirmed at Cité-Des-Jeunes-A.-M. Sormany, in Edmundston, and the school community has been notified. Any staff or students who may have been at the school on April 12 should self-monitor for symptoms.

As both schools have been closed since the region went into lockdown, no significant impact on learning is anticipated at this time. Anyone who has been in close contact with a case will be notified by Public Health for contact tracing. If you do not hear directly from Public Health, you have not been identified as a close contact.

POTENTIAL COVID-19 EXPOSURES

New Brunswick health officials are warning the public of a pair of potential COVID-19 exposures.

  • Jean Coutu, 77 Victoria St., Edmundston on Friday, April 16, between 1: 30 p.m. and 2 p.m.; on Wednesday, April 14, between noon and 12:45 p.m.; and on Monday, April 12, between 3 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.
  • Service New Brunswick, 15 King Square North, Saint John, on Tuesday, April 13, between 3:45 p.m. and 5 p.m.

Public Health has also identified a positive case in a traveller who may have been infectious on April 15 while on the following flights:

  • Air Canada Flight 318 – from Calgary to Montreal, departed at 11:53 a.m.
  • Air Canada Flight 8906 – from Montreal to Moncton, departed at 7:08 p.am.

Public Health is now offering COVID-19 testing for all New Brunswickers who have been in a public exposure area, even it they are not currently experiencing any symptoms. Residents may request a test online or call Tele-Care 811 to get an appointment at the nearest screening centre.

N.B. COVID-19 CASE DATA

New Brunswick has had 1,788 cumulative cases of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic.

In total, 1,601 people have recovered, and 33 people have died in the province from COVID-19.

Twenty people are currently in hospital with COVID-19, with 13 in intensive care units.

Public health says 927 tests were completed on Saturday in New Brunswick, and 275,475 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: 379 confirmed cases (16 active cases)
  • Zone 2 – Saint John region: 248 confirmed cases (12 active cases)
  • Zone 3 – Fredericton region: 255 confirmed cases (eight active cases)
  • Zone 4 – Edmundston region: 668 confirmed cases (116 active cases)
  • Zone 5 – Campbellton region: 182 confirmed cases (no active cases)
  • Zone 6 – Bathurst region: 30 confirmed cases (one active case)
  • Zone 7 – Miramichi region: 26 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 Sunday, 197,092 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in New Brunswick.

Approximately 27 per cent of the province's vaccine eligible population, 178,578 New Brunswickers, have received at least one dose.

The province has received a total of 255,205 doses of COVID-19 vaccine in their inventory.

REMINDER OF LOCKDOWN, ORANGE AND YELLOW LEVELS

A section of Zone 4, including Edmundston and the upper Madawaska region, remains in lockdown.

"People are doing what the essential needs they have to do," says Eric Marquis, acting mayor of Edmundston. "Besides that, not much is doing."

A list of lockdown restrictions, including what can remain open and what must close, is available online.

The communities of Saint-Léonard, Grand Falls, Drummond, New Denmark and Four Falls are in the Orange level.

All other zones and communities in the province, including the Saint-Quentin and Kedgwick regions in Zone 4, remain in the Yellow level.

"No travel is permitted in and out of the lockdown area or within the lockdown area except when necessary, such as for vaccinations, medical appointments, work or to purchase essential goods," public health wrote in a news release. "No travel is recommended in or out of areas in the Red or Orange levels. This recommendation includes no travel to sporting or entertainment events in other zones. Travel among Yellow level areas is permitted."