HALIFAX -- Public health in New Brunswick reported 12 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday. One previously reported case is now considered resolved, with the total number of active cases in the province increasing to 110.
All 12 of Saturday's new cases were identified in the Edmundston region (Zone 4). They involve:
- two people 19 and under. Both cases are contacts of a previous case;
- an individual 20-29. This case is a contact of a previous case;
- two people 30-39. Both cases are contacts of a previous case;
- an individual 40-49. This case is a contact of a previous case;
- two people 50-59. One case is a contact of a previous case and the other is under investigation; and
- four people 60-69. Three cases are under investigation and one is a contact of a previous case.
Of the province's 110 active cases, 86 are located in the Edmundston region.
Saturday’s 12 new cases marked another spike for a zone that’s seen a rapid rise in numbers this week, with 49 new cases in the last three days.
“We went back from lockdown to red, to orange, and then to yellow, and last week we heard the news of what’s going on in the area, and the number of cases have risen again. That’s unexpected,” says Jean-Claude D’Amours, MLA for Edmundston Madawaska Centre.
Mass testing clinics for residents of the Edmundston region drew around 3,100 to the Sainte Basile Arena over the last two days, in an attempt to help public health get a better understanding of the outbreak.
“It was the right thing to do and thousands of people decided to do it voluntarily and I’m very proud of that,” says D’Amours.
N.B. COVID-19 CASE DATA
New Brunswick has had 1,571 cumulative confirmed cases since the pandemic began. In total, 1,430 people have recovered, and 30 people have died in the province from COVID-19.
Five people are in hospital as a result of COVID-19, with one person in the intensive care unit.
Public health says 1,348 tests were completed on Friday in New Brunswick, and 246,475 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: 354 confirmed cases (10 active cases)
- Zone 2 – Saint John region: 230 confirmed cases (6 active cases)
- Zone 3 – Fredericton region: 246 confirmed cases (4 active cases)
- Zone 4 – Edmundston region: 505 confirmed cases (86 active cases)
- Zone 5 – Campbellton region: 182 confirmed cases (0 active cases)
- Zone 6 – Bathurst region: 29 confirmed cases (2 active cases)
- Zone 7 – Miramichi region: 25 confirmed cases (2 active cases)
CONFIRMED CASE AT DRUMMOND, N.B. SCHOOL
Public health says a positive case of COVID-19 has been confirmed at École Mgr-Lang in Drummond, in Zone 4.
Students, staff and families have been asked to self-isolate until Monday, March 29, as contact tracing is carried out. The school will move to distance learning until Wednesday, April 7.
Public health says they will be contacting close contacts in the coming days. If you do not hear directly from Public Health, you have not been identified as a close contact.
VACCINATION CLINICS DELAYED DUE TO WEATHER
Due to the weather forecast, two of the final vaccination clinics for staff from high schools scheduled for Monday, March 29 in Campbellton and Bathurst will be postponed to Tuesday, March 30, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The following schools will be closed on Tuesday for the vaccination clinics:
- Dalhousie Regional High School
- Sugarloaf Senior High School in Campbellton
- École Aux Quatre Vents in Dalhousie
- Polyvalente Roland-Pépin in Campbellton
- Bathurst High School
- École Secondaire Népisiguit in Bathurst
The weather forecast is not expected to impact other vaccination clinics planned for Monday, March 29. The following clinics will still be held as originally planned for the following schools:
- Bonar Law Memorial High School in Rexton
- École Mgr-Marcel-François-Richard in Saint-Louis de Kent
- École Clément-Cormier in Bouctouche
- Polyvalente Louis-J.-Robichaud in Shediac
Any school closures due to poor weather will be announced through the regular communication channels used by the school districts.
Public Health says 4,500 staff from high schools provincewide will have the opportunity to receive a COVID-19 vaccination at a clinic in one of 16 locations between March 22-30. Schools are closed to students on the days that local clinics are being held to allow staff to be vaccinated and to plan for the full return to school.
In the coming weeks, additional vaccination clinics will be available for staff in elementary and middle schools, including bus drivers, and for early childhood service providers and child-care staff as part of the large employer section of the vaccine rollout plan.
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, 75,962 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered so far. Of those, 63,751 were first doses and 12,211 people have received two doses of vaccine.
As of Friday, the province has received a total of 123,115 doses of COVID-19 vaccine.
POTENTIAL EXPOSURE AT EDMUNDSTON WALMART
Public Health has identified a potential public exposure to the virus at the at Walmart in Edmundston:
- Walmart, 805 Victoria St., on March 17, 18 and 19 from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
People who were in this facility during those dates and times should self-monitor for symptoms for 14 days after their visit. Should any COVID-19 symptoms develop, they are directed to self-isolate and take the self-assessment online or to call 811 to get tested.
REMINDER OF RED AND YELLOW LEVELS
The Edmundston area circuit breaker moved to the Red level at 6 p.m. on March 25. All other zones, including the communities outside the circuit breaker in Zone 4, remain in the Yellow level under the province’s mandatory order.
