FREDERICTON -- New Brunswick is reporting 10 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday.

Health officials say the Moncton, Saint John and Fredericton regions each have two new cases, the Edmundston area has three new cases and the Bathurst region has one.

There have been 1,900 confirmed cases in New Brunswick since the pandemic began.

Since Wednesday, 14 people have recovered for a total of 1,745 recoveries. There have been 36 deaths, and the number of active cases is 118. Four patients are hospitalized, including two who are in intensive care. On Wednesday, New Brunswick public health staff conducted 1,443 tests raising the overall total to 288,141.

Education and Early Childhood Development Minister Dominic Cardy says 35 per cent of New Brunswickers have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

More than 257,000 vaccine doses have been administered in the province to date.

Dr. Jennifer Russell, New Brunswick's chief medical officer of health, provided an update on a recent outbreak in Fredericton.

"Our public health teams are working tirelessly to trace all the contacts. I'm so very proud of the work they are doing,"  Russell said during a news conference in Fredericton Thursday afternoon.

New Brunswick Public Health had declared an outbreak at Magee House - an apartment-style residence at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton. Residents, family members and staff of Magee House were re-tested on Wednesday and, so far, 10 cases are linked to the outbreak there that was caused by the variant of COVID-19 first identified in India, Russell said.

"The cases in the Fredericton area outbreak are all connected, and this situation illustrates what we are up against," Russell said. "This is a virus that can and will spread quickly through casual contact. We must take every measure we can to slow the spread of COVID-19."

Russell said that residents and staff of the Elizabeth Parr-Johnston residence were tested on Tuesday. So far, all those test results have been negative. All residents and staff are self-isolating.

BREAKDOWN OF NEW CASES

Here is a breakdown of the new cases announced on Thursday.

The two cases in Zone 1 (Moncton region) are as follows:

  • a person aged 19 or younger; and
  • a person in their 50s.

One case is a contact of a previously confirmed case and the other is under investigation.

The two cases in Zone 2 (Saint John region) are as follows:

  • a person aged 19 or younger; and
  • a person in their 60s.

Both cases are contacts of previously confirmed cases.

The two cases in Zone 3 (Fredericton region) are as follows:

  • a person aged 19 or younger; and
  • a person in their 40s.

Both cases are contacts of previously confirmed cases.

The three cases in Zone 4 (Edmundston region) are as follows:

  • two people in their 30s; and
  • a person in their 50s.

All three cases are contacts of previously confirmed cases.

The one case in Zone 6 (Bathurst region) is an individual in their 60s and is travel-related.

UPDATE ON GEORGE STREET MIDDLE SCHOOL IN FREDERICTON

Since a positive case of COVID-19 was confirmed at George Street School on Monday, all tests results have come back negative.

Public health had advised all staff, students and families – about 900 people – to self-isolate until midnight on Sunday to allow for contact tracing and for testing.

The school will remain closed for the rest of this week additional testing takes place, public health said. If you are identified as a close contact, you will have to complete a full 14-day self-isolation. If all testing is negative, all other students and staff will be allowed to return on Monday and their family members will no longer be required to self-isolate.

"I know this situation has been stressful for students, staff and their families as they’ve been in isolation," said Education and Early Childhood Development Minister Dominic Cardy. "I want to thank everyone for their co-operation and participation in testing as our experts from Public Health continue to evaluate the situation. Please continue to follow Public Health advice and get tested."

OUTBREAK OVER AT SPECIAL CARE HOME IN EDMUNDSTON

Russell said that public health staff have declared the COVID-19 outbreak at Foyer St-Jacques, a special care home in Zone 4 (Edmundston region), "officially over."

The outbreak was declared on April 1 after a confirmed COVID-19 case at the facility. Residents and staff at the facility were re-tested several times to confirm the end of the outbreak, public health wrote in a news release.

EXPOSURE NOTIFICATIONS

Public Health has identified a potential public exposure to the virus at the following locations and dates in Grand Falls:

  • Hill Top Motel & Restaurant, 131 Madawaska Rd.
  • Thursday, April 22, and Monday, April 26.
     
  • Atlantic Superstore, 240 Madawaska Rd.
  • Saturday, April 24, between 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. and on Monday, April 26 between 10:30 a.m. and 11 a.m.
     
  • Toner Home Hardware, 445 Broadway Blvd.
  • Sunday, April 25, between 3:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. and on Monday, April 26, between 10 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.
     
  • Merritt Press, 208 Main St.
  • Monday, April 26, between 9:45 a.m. and 10 a.m.
     
  • Blue’s Printing Shop, 182 Portage St.
  • Monday, April 26, between 2:30 p.m. and 2:45 p.m.
     
  • St-Onge Industrial Supplies, Belanger St.
  • Monday, April 26, between noon and 12:15 p.m.
     
  • Canadian Tire, 383 Madawaska Rd.
  • Monday, April 26, between 11 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.
     
  • Foodland Grand Falls, 535 Everard H. Daigle
  • Monday, April 26, between 10:30 a.m. and 11 a.m.
     
  • Walmart, 494 Madawaska Rd.
  • Monday, April 26, between 3 p.m. and 7:15 p.m. and on Tuesday, April 27, between 8:30 a.m. and 11 a.m.
     
  • Grand Falls General Hospital
  • Tuesday, April 27, between 12:30 p.m. and 1 p.m.
     
  • Irving Big Stop, 121 Route 255
  • Wednesday, April 28, between 5 a.m. and 5:15 a.m.

Public Health has identified a potential public exposure to the virus at the following location and dates in Edmundston:

  • Grey Rock Hotel, 110 Chief Joanna Blvd.
  • Wednesday, April 14 and Thursday, April 15.

Public Health has identified a potential public exposure to the virus at the following location and dates in Fredericton:

  • HomeSense, 18 Trinity Dr.
  • Thursday, April 22, between 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. and on Friday, April 23, between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.

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 experiencing any symptoms. Residents may request a test online or call Tele-Care 811 to get an appointment at the nearest screening centre.

People experiencing one or more symptom are also encouraged to get tested.

COVID-19 TESTING IN NACKAWIC

Public health has set up a temporary outdoor, drive-through testing clinic in the parking lot of the Nackawic Shopping Mall after a possible public exposure at the Canada Post location at 135 Otis Dr., from Monday, April 19 to Thursday, April 22.

It is an appointment-only clinic that operates from noon to 5 p.m. It will be open again on Friday. On Thursday, they added an extra day of testing on Saturday between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

"Testing is available for individuals who were at the exposure site and do not have any symptoms of COVID-19 but want to be tested," public health wrote in a news release.

You can request a test online or phone Tele-Care 811. When you do, select "Hartland" as your preferred site. When called for your appointment, you should say that you want to be tested at the temporary site in Nackawic.

With files from CTV Atlantic.