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New Brunswick’s top doctor confirms 3 cases of the new U.K. variant of COVID-19

Click to play video: 'U.K. variant of COVID-19 detected in New Brunswick'
U.K. variant of COVID-19 detected in New Brunswick
WATCH: The U.K. variant of COVID-19 is now in New Brunswick, according to provincial health officials. This form of the virus is thought to be more transmissible and is believed to be responsible for a deadly outbreak at a long term care facility in Ontario. Tim Roszell has more – Feb 3, 2021

New Brunswick’s top doctor confirmed 25 new cases of the coronavirus on Tuesday and said three cases of the new U.K. variant of COVID-19 have been confirmed in the province.

Dr. Jennifer Russell said at a COVID-19 briefing that two of the cases are in the Saint John region and one is in the Miramichi area — with two related to international travel and one to travel in Canada.

Russell says modelling shows if the more than 500 COVID-19 cases diagnosed in January had been the more easily spread variant, they could lead to more than 6,000 cases by the end of February.

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She said conversations are ongoing at the provincial and national level on how to best contain the U.K. variant.

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Premier Blaine Higgs, who was also at the briefing, said the province is introducing new travel restrictions and anyone entering the province must self-isolate for 14 days and if they do so in a home with others, all residents must also quarantine.

Higgs said that despite delays in supply, the province is committed to having all long-term care residents in New Brunswick vaccinated by March 31.

Click to play video: 'N.B. rotational workers feel shut out by strict self-isolation rules'
N.B. rotational workers feel shut out by strict self-isolation rules

-With files from The Canadian Press

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