New Brunswick is reporting 18 new cases — most of them in the Moncton region.
The cases stem over a two-day reporting period spanning Saturday and Sunday.
According to health officials, 17 of the cases are in Zone 1 (Moncton region) involving people aged under 19 to their 40s. The majority of these cases — 11 of them — are among people in their 20s.
Nine of those cases are close contacts of previously-reported cases, six cases are under investigation and two are travel-related.
The single case in Zone 2 (Saint John region is a person in their 20s and is travel-related.
This brings the province’s active case number to 37. No one is currently hospitalized.
The recently-updated list of possible exposure locations includes several Moncton bars and restaurants, as well as a Maritime Bus Coach trip from Moncton to Fredericton on July 26. As well, exposure notices were released for five bars and restaurants in Saint John on the night of July 27.
On Saturday, the province lifted all COVID-19 restrictions, including all gathering limits, masking mandates and social distancing rules.
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Last week, both Premier Blaine Higgs and Dr. Jennifer Russell, chief medical officer of health, told Global News they were comfortable with not renewing the mandatory order.
“No hospitalization, case counts in the younger population and no one that’s really sick in that sense? You can’t justify staying under an emergency order,” said Higgs.
Meanwhile, Russell said the province’s current epidemiology meant the move was safe, despite the fact the Delta variant is spreading elsewhere in the country. She said she did expect cases to eventually increase in New Brunswick.
“New Brunswick has always been focused on the data and the research. And right now, our data in this province for cases and hospitalizations is extremely low,” she said.
“In our vaccine, rates continue to increase. So it’s always about balancing risks and with public health measures is always important to balance the risk and the mitigation.”
Currently, 67.9 per cent of New Brunswickers aged 12 and older are fully vaccinated, and 82.3 per cent have received at least one dose of a vaccine.
All eligible New Brunswickers can now book their second doses for a date that is at least 28 days after their first dose. As well, there are walk-in clinics available.
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