HALIFAX -- New Brunswick is reporting four new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday. Seventeen previously reported cases are now considered recovered, as the active number of cases in the province drops to 132.

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

  • two people 20-29; and,
  • an individual 40-49.

Tuesday's other new case was identified in the Moncton region (Zone 1), involving an individual 60-69.

All of four of Tuesday's new cases are contacts of previously confirmed cases.

POTENTIAL COVID-19 EXPOSURE AT EDMUNDSTON BANK

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

  • National Bank, 111 de l'Église St. on April 8 and 9.

Anyone who was at that location 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

With three of Tuesday's COVID-19 cases identified in the Edmundston region (Zone 4), the MLA for that part of the province says 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 Tuesday, the Edmundston Regional Hospital has seven COVID-19 patients in the Intensive Care Unit, all of which are on ventilators. The ICU unit itself is now at more than 60 per cent capacity.

They also say four healthcare workers from the hospital are isolating for COVID-19 related reasons – either as a close contact of someone who has been diagnosed with the virus or having been diagnosed themselves.

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 1,736 cumulative cases of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic.

In total, 1,570 people have recovered, and 33 people have died in the province from COVID-19.

Eighteen 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 269,256 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: 240 confirmed cases (eight active cases)
  • Zone 3 – Fredericton region: 255 confirmed cases (eight active cases)
  • Zone 4 – Edmundston region: 630 confirmed cases (100 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 Tuesday, 161,663 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in New Brunswick.

Approximately 22 per cent of the province's vaccine eligible population, 145,756 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.