New Brunswick reported 18 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday.
Twelve of those cases are in Zone 4, or the Edmunston region. They involve a person in their 20s, a person in their 50s, two people in their 70s, five people in their 80s and three people aged 90 or older, according to the province.
Five cases are contacts of previously reported cases and the other seven are under investigation.
Two cases were in Zone 1, the Moncton region. They involve someone aged 19 or younger and someone in their 30s. One case is related to travel and the other is a close contact of a previously confirmed case, the province said in a release.
Three cases were found in Zone 2, the Saint John region. They involve a person in their 30s and two people in their 50s. All are close contacts of previously confirmed cases.
The last case is in Zone 3, the Fredericton region, and involves a person in their 20s. That case is travel-related.
There have been four recoveries since Friday, and the number of active cases in the province is 141. Five people are in hospital, including two in intensive care.
A section of Zone 4, including Edmundston and the Upper Madawaska region, Saint-Léonard, Grand Falls, Drummond, New Denmark and Four Falls remain in the orange level of the provincial pandemic response.
All other communities remain in the yellow level.
No travel is recommended in or out of areas in the orange levels but travel between areas in orange is permitted. Travel among yellow-level areas is also permitted.
Update on George Street Middle School
The province also provided an update on George Street Middle School, which has been closed since a positive case of COVID-19 was confirmed on April 26.
Many of the contacts have already received negative test results, but the release said Public Health has identified a number of students and staff who are required to take a second COVID-19 test this weekend. Those people will be contacted directly, Public Health said.
The release said results will be available by the end of the day on May 2 and parents will be informed of next steps by that time.
“Throughout the pandemic, we have seen situations where individuals who first tested negative for COVID-19 have subsequently had a positive result five to 10 days after their initial test,” said Dr. Jennifer Russell, chief medical officer of health, in the release.
“The uncertainties surrounding the variant first confirmed in India require increased vigilance, and certain individuals must be retested as a precaution.”
There is also an ongoing outbreak at the UNB campus in Fredericton, which has been linked to 12 cases.
Isolation hotels
The province also addressed its new measure for people travelling into the province requiring them to stay at a hotel to self-isolate.
“There may be individual cases that require an alternative to a specific hotel as a designated facility, such as a stand-alone residence,” the release said.
“That will be determined on a case-by-case basis, while ensuring any designated isolation site still meets the need to keep New Brunswickers safe.”
It said anyone with questions on whether they qualify to stay at an alternative location can email TravelRegistration.EnregistrementVoyage@gnb.ca.
It said compliance checks will be conducted on people approved to stay in an alternative isolation location during their quarantine period.
Exposure notifications
The province also identified four potential exposure locations in Charlotte County:
- Atlantic Superstore, 195 King St., St. Stephen on Wednesday, April 28, between 6:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.
- Save Easy, 232 Water St., Saint Andrews on Monday, April 26, between 4:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.
- Birch Grove Restaurant, 34 Brunswick St., St. George, on Saturday, April 24, between 3:30 p.m. and 5 p.m.
- Dr. Michael Murphy’s Office, 6 Queen St. W, St. Stephen on Tuesday, April 20 between 3 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.
There is also a potential exposure to the virus at a location in Fredericton:
- The Snooty Fox, 66 Regent St. on Thursday, April 22, between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.
The province is now offering COVID-19 testing for all New Brunswickers who have been in a public exposure area. People can book a test online or call Tele-Care 811 to book an appointment.