New Brunswick has declared an outbreak at a seniors’ facility in Balmoral, N.B., after a single case of the novel coronavirus was confirmed at the facility.
Dr. Jennifer Russell, New Brunswick’s chief medical officer of health, announced the news at a provincial update.
Russell said contact tracing was underway and that all staff and residents at the facility had undergone rapid testing.
The new case of COVID-19 at the Residence Quatre Saisons was one of four reported on Thursday.
One is an individual between the ages of 60 and 69 in the Moncton region, one is an individual between the ages of 50 and 59 in the Campbellton region and two people are between the ages of 60 to 69 in the Campbellton region.
The province did not reveal the source of the new cases.
READ MORE: New Brunswick reports 3 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday
As a result of 10 people now being considered recovered, there was a decrease in the number of active cases, 41 as of Thursday, in New Brunswick.
There has been 341 cases in the province since the pandemic began, with 294 of them now being considered recovered.
Six people have died as a result of the virus in New Brunswick.
The province also announced a series of new measures at New Brunswick’s borders.
Workers from New Brunswick returning from outside the Atlantic bubble are now subject to modified self-isolation requirements for 14 days after they return.
“These measures are necessary because almost 95 per cent of the COVID-19 cases in our province are the result of travel or someone who has been in close contact with another traveller who was positive,” said Premier Blaine Higgs on Thursday.
Those workers returning from outside the Atlantic bubble will be able to return to regular public health measures in the province by being voluntarily tested for COVID-19, receiving a negative result and having no symptoms.
The new restrictions do not apply to truckers or daily commuters, it also does not apply to people travelling into the province under the authority of an operational plan approved by WorkSafe New Brunswick.
“The risks of COVID-19 are increasing outside the Atlantic bubble which means we have to double down on decreasing risks within New Brunswick and the Atlantic bubble to get us through the winter,” said Russell.
The new measures come into effect at midnight.
The changes are part of the state of emergency order, which was renewed for another 14-day period on Thursday.
Modified self-isolation means that workers will be allowed to leave isolation to access essential goods and services, including the necessities of life and support services.
A person can now also be voluntarily tested for COVID-19 up to three times depending upon the length of their stay in the province.
All testing must be scheduled using the province’s online self-referral tool.
Under the renewed mandatory order, travel into Restigouche County by residents of the Listuguj First Nation and of Pointe-à-la-Croix, Que, for the purpose of accessing essential goods and services not available in their own community are now further restricted.
They are only able to enter New Brunswick two times in a seven-day period and the travel must occur between the hours of 6 a.m. and 10 p.m.
Residents who have pre-registered and been approved through New Brunswick’s Travel Registration Program will be allowed to enter without self-isolation to attend school, access child care or to obtain essential goods.
Zone 5 or the Campbellton region remains in the orange phase of New Brunswick’s recovery plan and it appears likely that it will remain there through Halloween.
That unfortunately means that trick-or-treating on Saturday not be allowed in the region.
Despite fielding a number of messages from parents, Higgs said it is important for residents to follow the guidelines for Halloween published by the province.
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