New Brunswick reported a record-setting 177 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, to go along with 81 recoveries.
Of the new cases, 33 are in Zone 1 (Moncton region), 32 are in Zone 2 (Saint John region), 60 are in Zone 3 (Fredericton region), 17 are in Zone 4 (Edmundston region), three are in Zone 5 (Campbellton region), four are in Zone 6 (Bathurst region) and 28 are in Zone 7 (Miramichi region).
According to the province, there are 15 people in intensive care and another 26 in hospital. Of that 41 total, 25 are over the age of 60 and seven people are on a ventilator. There is no one under 19 in hospital.
“Six of the 41 people hospitalized were initially admitted for other reasons and contracted COVID-19 due to outbreaks at hospitals in Moncton, Saint John and Miramichi,” said the province in a release. “Most of these people are exhibiting mild to moderate symptoms.”
The provincial government is also reminding residents of temporary measures announced Monday to help slow the spread of the Omicron variant.
Health Minister Dorothy Shephard is asking people who have been to St. Francis Xavier University or to Antigonish, N.S. between Dec. 3 and 5 to book a PCR test at an assessment centre “as soon as possible due to the high number of cases coming out of that area.”
“I also ask those coming home for the holidays from post-secondary institutions outside the province to pick up rapid tests,” she said. “We have 14 confirmed cases of Omicron. We know there will be more, but we need to take whatever steps we can to slow the spread. That is why we have put additional interim measures in place.”
Vaccination
Public health reported Thursday that 33.1 per cent of children aged five to 11 have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and an additional 17,210 appointments have been booked.
Overall, 82.5 per cent of eligible New Brunswickers are fully vaccinated, 89 per cent have received their first dose, and 11.1 per cent have received a booster dose.
Currently, 38,730 appointments for booster shots have been booked.
“It is encouraging to see so many New Brunswickers getting vaccinated,” said Shephard in a release. “This is especially important now as concerns about Omicron increase.”
All of New Brunswick is currently in the Level 1 phase of the winter plan to manage COVID-19. More information on the plan, including on the additional temporary measures, is available online.
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