New Brunswick reported 14 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday and said 126 active cases remain in the province.
Chief medical officer of health Dr. Jennifer Russell said that eight of the new cases are in Zone 4 (Edmundston region), which are all contacts of previously confirmed cases. In Zone 1 (Moncton region), there are four travel-related cases, one new travel-related case in Zone 3 (Fredericton region), and one new travel-related case in Zone 2 (Saint John region).
An individual previously identified as a case in Zone 1 (Moncton region) has also been removed from the confirmed list of cases due to the identification of false positive results.
“The lab is working to determine the cause of the false positive,” the province said in a release.
At this time, the number of confirmed cases in New Brunswick is 1,601.
Russell said at a COVID-19 briefing that as the B.1.1.7 variant first identified in the U.K. and the P.1 variant first identified in Brazil continue to be detected in other provinces, like British Columbia, New Brunswick is prepared to “surely and swiftly” respond as it did with the Edmundston region.
On Monday, the province widened the areas in the Edmundston region that are under its COVID-19 red level amid growing cases.
Saint-Léonard, Grand Falls, Drummond, New Denmark and Four Falls have been included in the red level, which is the second-highest level in the province, as of midnight.
That means residents must keep a single-household bubble and social gatherings outdoors can only include five people or fewer with masks and physical distancing.
Russell said that more than 1,000 people are self-isolating at this time in an effort to curb the virus from spreading.
Health Minister Dorothy Shephard, who was also at the briefing, said that another 30,000 AstraZeneca vaccines are expected to arrive in New Brunswick over the coming week and more clinics will be opened to those 55 and older.
As of Monday the province has pulled the plug on AstraZeneca vaccination clinics for those under 55, following a National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) recommendation.
This is why the province said it has changed the eligibility at a previously planned AstraZeneca vaccination clinic in Saint John. The clinic, being presented by Horizon Health Network, will now be open to anyone 55 and over who wishes to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
Shephard also announced that planned clinics for first responders will continue beginning Tuesday, with Pfizer vaccines. In the meantime, clinics for high school teachers will be rescheduled.
“New Brunswick remains on track to be able to give everyone a vaccine dose by the end of June,” she said.
To date, 12 per cent of the population 16 and older have received at least one dose.
Since Monday, seven people have recovered for a total of 1,444 recoveries. There have been 30 deaths.
According to the province, five patients are hospitalized, including two in an intensive care unit. On Monday, 1,406 tests were conducted for a total of 254,728.