New Brunswick reported 14 new cases of COVID-19 as the province announced new masking rules regarding the province’s early learning and child-care facilities.
Starting Sept. 7, all staff and children aged two and older at early learning and child-care facilities will be required to wear masks in common indoor areas and when they are using transportation services offered by the facility, like buses and vans.
This means children will be required to bring two clean face masks with them every day, the province said in a release.
“These changes will help protect New Brunswick’s youngest learners as we learn to live with COVID-19,” said Education and Early Childhood Development Minister Dominic Cardy in a statement.
“While we wait for vaccinations to become available for children under 12, we continue to count on communities to help keep children healthy and safe. We strongly encourage everyone who is able to be vaccinated to do so, especially educators and other staff working with young children.”
The changes were included in an update to the provincial guidelines for the prevention and control of communicable diseases in early learning and child-care facilities.
14 new cases, outbreak declared
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Of the 14 new cases reported Friday, six are in Zone 1, the Moncton region. They involve a person 19 and under, a person in their 30s, two people in their 40s, a person in their 50s and a person in their 60s. Four cases are under investigation and two are close contacts of a previously confirmed case.
Two are in Zone 2, the Saint John, region and are related to travel. They involve a person 19 and under and a person in their 20s.
There is one case in Zone 3, the Fredericton region, and is a contact of a previously confirmed case. That person is in their 40s.
There are three new cases in Zone 4, the Edmundston region, involving a person 19 and under, a person in their 20s and a person in their 30s. All three are contacts of a previously confirmed case.
There is one new case in Zone 6, the Bathurst region, involving a person 19 and under. They are a close contact of a previously reported case.
And one new case in Zone 7, the Miramichi region, is a person in their 50s and is travel related.
There are now 126 active cases in the province. Three people are in hospital, including two in an intensive care unit.
The province has also declared an outbreak at the Hôtel-Dieu Saint-Joseph de Saint-Quentin following two positive cases at the hospital. “Public Health and the Vitalité Health Network are investigating but the risk to the public is considered low,” the province said.
Meanwhile, the province said 75.8 per cent of eligible New Brunswickers are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and 84.9 per cent have received their first dose.
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