New Brunswick reports 109 new COVID-19 cases, 63 hospitalizations Tuesday

HALIFAX -

Health officials in New Brunswick are reporting 109 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, along with 54 recoveries, as the total number of active cases in the province rises to 1,092.

According to health officials, 72 of Tuesday's 109 new cases, or 66 per cent, are not vaccinated. Five cases, or five per cent, are partially vaccinated, and 32 cases, or 29 per cent, are fully vaccinated.

The province says there are currently 63 people in hospital in New Brunswick due to COVID-19, with 27 in an intensive care unit. Of those currently in hospital, 48 are unvaccinated, four are partially vaccinated, and 11 are fully vaccinated.

Of the 27 in an intensive case unit, 19 are unvaccinated, three are partially vaccinated and five are fully vaccinated. 

“The proof is clear, if you are not vaccinated, you are 18 times more likely to become severely ill if you contract the COVID-19 virus,” said Dr. Jennifer Russell, N.B. Chief Medical Officer of Health during Tuesday's news update. “It also shows that the vaccines are very good at preventing serious illness, hospitalization and death among those infected with the COVID-19 virus.”

N.B. HOSPITALS RETURN TO RED ALERT LEVEL

Many hospitals in New Brunswick will return to a red alert level on Tuesday, meaning some non-urgent procedures could be delayed.

Both the Horizon Health Network and Vitalite say the measures are being put in place due to the rising COVID-19 hospitalizations in the province.

“There’s no question the system is stretched,” said Russell. “The fact that Vitalite is going into their red phase for their hospital system is really important in terms of protecting the system and making sure that the resources we need to provide care to COVID patients are available.”

Vitalite says its facilities will go back to the red-alert level on Tuesday, although Campbellton Regional Hospital is already at that level after an outbreak inside the building.

Horizon says its hospitals will enter the red alert level on Wednesday.

COMPLIANCE OVER THANKSGIVING LONG WEEKEND

New Brunswick health officials confirm a church in Saint John was flagged over the weekend for not being in full compliance of public health orders.

During Tuesday’s news update, Health Minister Dorothy Shephard said peace officers visited 63 places of worship to ensure they were following the rules.

According to Shephard, 62 of the 63 places of worship were found to be in full compliance. The lone exception was His Tabernacle Family Church in Saint John.

“Investigations are ongoing and matters are before the courts,” said Shephard.

“I am deeply appreciative that nearly every religious leader and faith community in New Brunswick is doing the right thing by their community and their province,” continued Shephard. “They are requiring proof of vaccination or having smaller, distanced, masked gatherings, or they are taking their celebrations online temporarily. These are tough decisions, but necessary ones, and I appreciate the leadership being shown.”

From Friday night through Monday, officers and inspectors responded to 28 calls for service and conducted more than 600 inspections of stores, restaurants, licensed establishments, events, entertainment and fitness venues and several private dwellings.

The province says ten self-isolation orders were issued to people who arrived at a New Brunswick border without proof of vaccination, and one compliance order was issued in Moncton in connection with care required when checking proof of vaccination at a venue.

COVID-19 CASE DATA

New Brunswick has had 5,367 cumulative cases of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic.

In total, 4,199 people have recovered and 75 people have died in the province from COVID-19.

Public health says a total of 493,631 COVID-19 tests have been processed since the start of the pandemic.

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

• Zone 1 – Moncton region: 1,501 confirmed cases (375 active cases)
• Zone 2 – Saint John region: 506 confirmed cases (75 active cases)
• Zone 3 – Fredericton region: 1,153 confirmed cases (238 active cases)
• Zone 4 – Edmundston region: 1,267 confirmed cases (165 active case)
• Zone 5 – Campbellton region: 538 confirmed cases (99 active cases)
• Zone 6 – Bathurst region: 267 confirmed cases (50 active cases)
• Zone 7 – Miramichi region: 135 confirmed cases (35 active cases)

Thirty-two new cases were reported in the Moncton region (Zone 1) involving:

• 14 people age 19 and under
• four people in their 20s
• six people in their 30s
• five people in their 40s
• three people in their 60s

Twenty-six cases are under investigation and six are contacts of previously confirmed cases.

Twenty-two new cases were reported in the Saint John region (Zone 2) involving:

• eight people age 19 and under
• three people in their 20s
• one person in their 30s
• three people in their 40s
• four people in their 50s
• two people in their 60s
• one person in their 70s

Thirteen cases are contacts of previously confirmed cases and nine are under investigation.

Seventeen new cases were reported in the Fredericton region (Zone 3) involving:

• four people age 19 and under
• three people in their 20s
• two people in their 30s
• two people in their 40s
• one person in their 50s
• three people in their 60s
• two people in their 70s

Nine cases are under investigation and eight are contacts of previously confirmed cases.

Eleven new cases were reported in the Edmundston region (Zone 4) involving:

• three people age 19 and under
• one person in their 20s
• one person in their 50s
• two people in their 60s
• two people in their 70s
• one person in their 80s
• one person age 90 and over

Seven cases are under investigation and four are contacts of previously confirmed cases.

Twenty new cases were reported in the Campbellton region (Zone 5) involving:

• three people ages 19 and under
• four people in their 20s
• one person in their 30s
• two people in their 40s
• five people in their 50s
• one person in their 60s
• two people in their 70s
• two people in their 80s

Sixteen cases are under investigation and four are contacts of previously confirmed cases.

Three new cases were reported in the Bathurst region (Zone 6) involving:

• one person age 19 and under
• one person in their 20s
• one person in their 30s

Two cases are under investigation and one is a contact of a previously confirmed case.

Four new cases were reported in the Miramichi region (Zone 7) involving:

• two people age 19 and under
• one person in their 40s
• one person in their 60s

All four cases are under investigation.

VACCINE UPDATE

As of Tuesday, 81.5 per cent of New Brunswickers age 12 and older are fully vaccinated and 90.7 per cent have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

In total, 1,198,883 vaccine doses have been administered in New Brunswick.

“I am particularly pleased to see that the number of people getting first doses is rising again,” said Dr. Jennifer Russell, chief medical officer of health. “This shows that our measures to encourage vaccination are having the desired effect. But that still leaves 128,000 eligible New Brunswickers who are not yet fully protected against this virus, including 69,000 who have yet to receive their first dose. This is where the greatest risk now lies.”

All provincial government employees, staff in long-term care facilities and staff and volunteers in schools and licensed early learning and child-care facilities must be fully vaccinated by Friday, Nov. 19.

All eligible New Brunswickers can book their second dose appointments now for a date that is at least 28 days after their first dose.

POTENTIAL PUBLIC EXPOSURES

A full list of potential COVID-19 exposure notifications in New Brunswick can be found on the province's website.

Anyone with symptoms of the virus, as well as anyone who has been at the site of a possible public exposure, is urged to request a test online or call Tele-Care at 811 to get an appointment.