New Brunswick reported 17 new cases on Tuesday as the province recorded its first COVID-19-related deaths of 2021.
The province confirmed that two people — an individual between the ages of 80 and 89 and an individual between 70 and 79 — have died.
Both were residents of Lily Court at Tucker Hall in the Parkland Saint John complex.
Shannex, which operates the facility, confirmed the news on its website.
“I have had the opportunity to speak with the family and there are no words that can ease the pain they are feeling,” Jason Shannon, president and chief operating officer of Shannex, said in a statement.
Premier Blaine Higgs said the news of the deaths saddened him and his wife, Marcia.
“On behalf of all New Brunswickers, we offer our sincere condolences to their families and friends,” Higgs said in a press release.
The tally of deaths in New Brunswick as a result of the coronavirus now stands at 11.
New Brunswick has seen an explosion in cases since the year began, recording 218 since Jan. 1.
As of Tuesday, more than a quarter (27 per cent) of New Brunswick’s cases have been recorded in 2021.
The 17 cases reported on Tuesday are spread out through the province’s health zones.
It’s part of the stark difference from previous outbreaks in the province, which has normally recorded increasing case numbers in one or two zones.
The Moncton region recorded four new cases, including an individual between the ages of 30 and 39, two individuals between the ages of 50 and 59 and an individual between the ages of 60 and 69.
The Saint John zone recorded four cases on Tuesday. They include an individual 19 years old or younger, an individual between the ages of 60 and 69, an individual between the ages of 80 and 89 and an individual 90 or over.
Four cases were recorded in the Fredericton region. They include an individual 19 years old or younger, an individual between the ages of 30 and 39, an individual between the ages of 40 and 49 and an individual between the ages of 50 and 59.
The Edmundston zone also recorded four new cases. They include an individual 19 years old or younger, an individual between the ages of 40 and 49, an individual between the ages of 50 and 59 and an individual between the ages of 60 and 69.
The Campbellton region reported a single new case on Tuesday. It is an individual between the ages of 50 and 59.
All of the cases are self-isolating and are under investigation, officials said.
As a result of the increasing case numbers across the province, all regions remain in the orange zone of New Brunswick’s COVID-19 recovery plan.
There have now been 817 cases of the virus since the pandemic began, of which 586 people are considered to have recovered.
Officials say 219 cases of the novel coronavirus are active in New Brunswick.
Case at New Maryland Elementary School
Health officials are also reporting a single positive case linked to New Maryland Elementary School in New Maryland, N.B., on Monday.
The school community has been notified and the majority of students returned to school except for a Grade 2 class that is now learning from home.
Students should return to school unless advised otherwise by public health officials.
Individuals who have been a close contact with the positive case will be notified by public health.
If someone is not contacted they were not determined to be a close contact.