New Brunswick health officials reported 20 new cases of the coronavirus in a provincial update on Saturday.
The province says 57 cases of COVID-19 are now active in the province.
Chief of health Dr. Jennifer Russell says 12 of the new cases were detected in Moncton.
Nine of the new Moncton cases are related to the outbreak at the Notre-Dame Manor special-care home. Three other cases are under investigation.
Seven cases were detected in the Campbellton region and are all related to the regional outbreak.
Russell was joined by Education Minister Dominic Cardy, who said that the Sugarloaf High School case reported on Friday was the first case to be linked to a public school in New Brunswick.
The school was closed on Friday as a result and students will be learning remotely Oct. 13-14. Students from Quebec will transition to full-time online learning next week.
On Saturday, Cardy said a second case at a school was detected at Academie Notre-Dame in Dalhousie in zone 5.
The province said the school community has been informed and public health is contact tracing.
Premier Blaine Higgs announced Friday that the Campbellton and Moncton regions are moving back into the orange phase of the COVID-19 recovery plan.
This means that schools in zones 1 and 5 will have to enhance mask use once again.
Students in kindergarten through Grade 8 are required to wear face masks throughout the day, unless working quietly at their desks, engaged in physical activity, or eating and drinking.
Those in Grades 9 through 12 are required to wear face masks at all times, unless engaging in physical activity, or eating and drinking.
“Students of all ages and grades are required to wear masks at all times on the school bus, even if they are sitting alone or with a family member,” said a public health news release.
In addition, all field trips in the two regions are cancelled as they remain in the orange phase.
In the Saturday update, Russell advised New Brunswickers to avoid travelling to the Moncton and Campbellton regions unless for an essential service.
“Travel to get your hair done does not constitute essential service,” she said.
Russell said she knows many post-secondary students were hoping to go home to those regions for Thanksgiving.
“If you haven’t already left, we’re really asking you not to travel to those zones at this time as we really need to slow the spread,” she said.
In total, New Brunswick has confirmed 258 cases of COVID-19 and has seen 199 recoveries.
Three individuals are currently hospitalized as a result of the virus, one of whom is in ICU.
Editor’s note: This article was updated to note that New Brunswick has seen 199 recoveries from coronavirus. Incorrect information appeared in an earlier version of the article. Global News regrets the error.
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