New Brunswick reports 163 new cases, including 16 confirmed as Omicron variant

New Brunswick is reporting another high case count Friday, with 163 new cases and another two individuals have died from the virus.

Sixteen of the cases are confirmed as the highly transmissible Omicron variant – bringing the total number of confirmed cases of the variant to 30.

This latest information comes as the province prepares for “interim measures” to come into effect Friday at midnight, in order to slow the spread of the new variant.

Those measures include:

• People must limit their household contacts to a maximum of a consistent 20 people.
• Distancing must be maintained at all times in businesses, retail establishments, gyms, salons and spas.
• Dining in restaurants is still permitted but two metres must be maintained between tables and proof of vaccination is still required.
• Entertainment centres, including movie theatres, professional sporting venues, casinos, etc., will be operating at 50 per cent capacity with distancing of two metres.

More information on the interim measures and the winter plan to manage COVID-19 is available online.

There are now 1,255 active cases in the province – the highest since the pandemic began.

Two people, both in their 70s, have died from the virus, bringing the total number of deaths due to COVID-19 in New Brunswick to 146.

A total of 45 people are in hospital, 14 of whom are being treated in intensive care – seven are on a ventilator. The province says no one under the age of 19 is currently hospitalized, and 28 of the 45 are over the age of 60.

The breakdown of new cases are:

• Moncton region: 36
• Saint John region: 64
• Fredericton region: 34
• Edmundston region: 11
• Campbellton region: 2
• Bathurst region: 5
• Miramichi region: 11

VACCINE UPDATE

Health officials say 82.5 per cent of eligible New Brunswickers are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, while 89.1 per cent have received their first dose and 11.9 per cent have received a booster dose.

Currently, 43,360 appointments for booster shots have been booked; this figure increased by 11,060 over the last two days.

As of Friday, 34.2 per cent of children aged five to 11 have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine and 17,500 appointments are scheduled for that age group.

Walk-in clinics have been added in areas with high demand for those eligible for a booster dose. A full list of walk-in clinics is available online.

A detailed list of those eligible for a booster dose is also available online.

FINES AND ENFORCEMENT

According to the Department of Public Safety, 26 fines have been issued between Sept. 24 and Dec. 14.

A spokesperson says checks were done on 6,889 sites – 487 were provided warnings, 219 were resolved through further education and 26 fines were issued.

Geoffrey Downey, communications officer for New Brunswick's Emergency Management Office, also said that self-isolation is being monitored through phone calls and in-person visits. Enforcement staff have done 912 in-person inspections of people who were supposed to be self-isolating, and 96 per cent of them were compliant.

“While enforcement action such as tickets, warnings and compliances orders are required in a few cases, in most cases compliance is achieved through education where an official spoke with an individual or business and compliance with the rules was reached through a conversation,” Downey said.

“Since the current state of emergency began on Sept. 24, we have issued one ticket to an individual for non-compliance of COVID rules. That happened on Dec. 8.”

PROVINCE REMOVES OPTION FOR PROOF OF VACCINATION AT GROCERY STORES

Two weeks ago, the New Brunswick government put in place the requirement for any grocery store to either ask for proof of vaccination – or ensure physical distancing is maintained inside.

It sparked complaints on social media and concern that some may not be able to access groceries.

On Friday, the province removed that requirement, saying the “original intention was to give stores a choice… it was never the intention for anyone to believe they could not access groceries.”

Other retail operations that do not sell groceries, as well as salons and spas, can continue to ask for proof of vaccination or ensure distancing.

LEVEL I PHASE OF COVID-19 WINTER PLAN

All of New Brunswick is currently in the Level 1 phase of the Winter Plan to manage COVID-19.

More information on the plan is available online.

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.