HALIFAX -- New Brunswick is reporting 16 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday. Seven previously reported cases are now considered recovered, as the active number of cases in the province increases to 142.

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

  • three people 19 and under;
  • an individual 20-29;
  • three people 40-49;
  • two people 50-59;
  • three people 60-69; and
  • two people 70-79.

Eleven of the 14 cases in the Edmundston region are contacts of a previously reported case, while three are under investigation.

Wednesday's other two new cases were identified in the Saint John region (Zone 2), involving an individual 50-59 and an individual 60-69. One of the cases is travel related, and one is a close contact of a previously reported case.

POTENTIAL COVID-19 EXPOSURES IN EDMUNDSTON

New Brunswick health officials are warning the public of a potential COVID-19 exposure at a pair of locations in Edmundston, N.B.

  • Canada Post, 4 Grondin St. on April 7, 8 and 9; and
  • Fenêtre Unique, 130 Rivière à la Truite Rd., between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on April 8 and 9.

Anyone who was at those locations on the dates listed should self-monitor for symptoms for 14 days. Should any COVID-19 symptoms develop, they should self-isolate and contact 811 to get tested or take the self-assessment online.

UPDATE ON EDMUNDSTON REGIONAL HOSPITAL

On Tuesday, the MLA for the Edmundston region said the situation at the Edmundston Regional Hospital is unprecedented.

"The number of people, you know, going to the hospital and the number going to ICU is way more higher than we have seen during wave one and wave two of the pandemic in the area," said Jean-Claude D'Amours, the MLA for Edmundston-Madawaska Centre.

According to the Vitalité Health Network, as of Wednesday, the Edmundston Regional Hospital has 12 patients hospitalized with COVID-19. Seven of those patients are in the Intensive Care Unit, and six are on ventilators. The ICU unit itself is now at more than 60 per cent capacity.

In an interview with CTV News on Monday, Dr. Jennifer Russell, New Brunswick's chief medical officer of health, said community transmission is happening in the Edmundston region and is a cause for serious concern.

"All of the cases in Zone 4 are the U.K. variant, which are more contagious and have more severe symptoms, including for people as young as in their 20s, 30s, and 40s," said Russell.

N.B. COVID-19 CASE DATA

New Brunswick has had 1,752 cumulative cases of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic.

In total, 1,577 people have recovered, and 33 people have died in the province from COVID-19.

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

Public health says 1,160 tests were completed on Monday in New Brunswick, and 270,515 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: 374 confirmed cases (16 active cases)
  • Zone 2 – Saint John region: 242 confirmed cases (10 active cases)
  • Zone 3 – Fredericton region: 255 confirmed cases (eight active cases)
  • Zone 4 – Edmundston region: 644 confirmed cases (107 active cases)
  • Zone 5 – Campbellton region: 182 confirmed cases (no active cases)
  • Zone 6 – Bathurst region: 29 confirmed cases (no active cases)
  • 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 Thursday, 167,417 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in New Brunswick.

Approximately 22.8 per cent of the province's vaccine eligible population, 150,895 New Brunswickers, have received at least one dose.

The province has received a total of 211,545 doses of COVID-19 vaccine in their inventory.

EDMUNDSTON IN LOCKDOWN

Most of the Edmundston region (Zone 4) went into lockdown as of 12 a.m. Sunday.

The lockdown area includes Edmundston and Madawaska, but some other communities remain at the Red level of recovery.

Red zones that are not under lockdown are Saint-Léonard, Grand Falls, Drummond, New Denmark and Four Falls.

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