New Brunswick is reporting 174 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, making it the highest daily case count since the pandemic began.
The province said people under the age of 19 now make up nearly half of the province’s new cases.
As well, two people in their 50s have died — one in Zone 5 (Campbellton region) and one in Zone 7 (Miramichi region).
The province said hospitalizations, however, continue to trend downward from a week ago.
There were also 61 recoveries reported, bringing the active case count to 892. There are 40 people in hospital, including one person under the age of 19. Of those in hospital, 16 are in intensive care.
In a news release, Health Minister Dorothy Shephard said the province is “continuing to see a high number of cases in people under the age of 19, especially in Zone 3, the Fredericton region.”
“Unlike older people and those who have underlying health conditions, the vast majority of young people who catch the virus experience relatively mild symptoms and do not require hospitalization. The increase in cases does not come as a surprise, as many of these children have only recently become eligible for vaccination.”
She said the situation did underscore the importance of children getting vaccinated, and for adults to get their boosters when eligible, to help reduce spread of the virus “and keep our number of hospitalizations manageable.”
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Fifteen of the new COVID-19 cases were confirmed in schools and child-care facilities — the majority of them impacting the Moncton and Fredericton regions.
Three schools had operational days on Thursday due to COVID-19, meaning either all or specific groups of students within the school had to learn from home.
“About 80 per cent of active cases within schools are in elementary schools. Often the virus was transmitted outside of the school setting or in instances when safety measures were not followed,” the release read.
Rapid tests are now available to anyone aged 16 or older.
As well, parents or guardians of unvaccinated children who are identified as close contacts of a confirmed case can pick up test kits at their child’s school.
Regional breakdown of new cases
The 25 new cases in Zone 1 (Moncton region) are as follows:
- five people nine and under;
- seven people 10-19;
- eight people 30-39;
- a person 40-49;
- two people 50-59; and
- two people 70-79.
Fifteen cases are under investigation and 10 are contacts of previously known cases.
The 32 new cases in Zone 2 (Saint John region) are as follows:
- seven people nine and under;
- three people 10-19;
- two people 20-29;
- seven people 30-39;
- four people 40-49;
- four people 50-59;
- four people 60-69; and
- a person 70-79.
Seventeen cases are under investigation and 15 are contacts of previously known cases.
The 94 new cases in Zone 3 (Fredericton region) are as follows:
- 26 people nine and under;
- 27 people 10-19;
- nine people 20-29;
- 12 people 30-39;
- four people 40-49;
- six people 50-59;
- seven people 60-69; and
- three people 70-79.
Sixty-six cases are under investigation and 28 are contacts of previously known cases.
The four new cases in Zone 4 (Edmundston region) are as follows:
- three people nine and under; and
- a person 60-69.
Three cases are under investigation and one is a contact of a previously known case.
The five new cases in Zone 5 (Campbellton region) are as follows:
- two people nine and under;
- a person 10-19;
- a person 40-49; and
- a person 60-69.
Three cases are contacts of previously known cases and two are under investigation.
The four new cases in Zone 6 (Bathurst region) are as follows:
- two people 20-29;
- a person 50-59; and
- a person 60-69.
All four cases are under investigation.
The 10 new cases in Zone 7 (Miramichi region) are as follows:
- a person nine and under;
- two people 20-29;
- three people 40-49;
- two people 50-59;
- a person 60-69; and;
- a person 70-79.
Eight cases are contacts of previously known cases and two are under investigation.
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