New Brunswick confirms 4 new coronavirus cases, 2 regions moving back to yellow

New Brunswick reported four new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday and said Moncton and Fredericton regions are moving back into the yellow phase of the province’s COVID-19 recovery plan.

Dr. Jennifer Russell, chief medical officer of health, said at the briefing that two of the cases are in the Saint John region, one in the Moncton region and another in the Edmundston region.

Russell said COVID-19 has not gone away in Moncton and Fredericton, but the risks have been reduced.

She said two people are in hospital right now due to the virus.

She also reminded New Brunswickers not to have big holiday gatherings.

“We’ve been able to avoid the disasters from other provinces and we need to keep that up,” said Russell.

Premier Blaine Higgs, who was also at the briefing, said that an all-party cabinet committee agreed that the Moncton and Fredericton regions will return to the yellow phase at midnight.

In the meantime, Saint John will remain in the orange phase due to the number of active cases in the area, but Higgs notes that it could go back to yellow “possibly later this week.”

“I am convinced that working together, we will get through this.”