New Brunswick is reporting 118 new cases of COVID-19 and 107 recoveries on Monday.
The province also revealed that out of 568 positive samples sent in for sequencing, 31 cases have been confirmed to be the Omicron variant.
Of note, all travel-related cases were among those that were sent in for sequencing.
“Though the number of confirmed Omicron cases have so far been relatively low in our province, given what we are seeing in neighbouring provinces, it is important we remain vigilant and do whatever we can to slow the spread of this variant,” said Dr. Jennifer Russell, chief medical officer of health, in a release.
“Understanding that Omicron is highly transmissible, Public Health focused on case investigations so that possible cases could be isolated quickly.”
There are now 42 people in hospital, including 17 in intensive care. Six of the people in hospital were initially admitted for a separate reason but contracted COVID-19 due to an outbreak at a hospital.
Of those in hospital, 26 are over the age of 60 and seven people are on a ventilator. There is no one under 19 hospitalized.
Currently, 82.6 per cent of eligible New Brunswickers are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, 89.5 per cent have received their first dose, and 14 per cent have received a booster dose.
The province said more than a million rapid tests have been handed out to students in New Brunswick. The last day of classes for students in Grade 7 and 8 will be Tuesday, while students in grades 9-12 will be dismissed at noon on Thursday.
Students in kindergarten through Grade 6 began their holiday break last Friday, one week ahead of schedule.
“All students are being provided rapid tests to use throughout the holidays and before they return to class in January,” read the release.
It was total grid-lock in Fredericton as people in the capital city tried to get access to the free rapid testing kits.
Rapid tests in high demand
The recent spike in cases, coupled with the upcoming holidays, has driven many to pick up free rapid testing kits.
Hundreds were lined up outside the Fredericton Exhibition Grounds off Smythe Street, for example, on Monday.
The rapid testing kits were made available in the fall and Health Minister Dorothy Shephard said in a previous interview the kits have caught cases.
Horizon Health Network encouraged people to pick up the kits at locations in the major city centres, including Moncton, Saint John, Fredericton and Miramichi.
But those locations have limited hours from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Meanwhile, Vitalité Health Network listed 16 pick-up locations on its website, with some exceptions. The hours for those locations are limited to 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
It also indicated on its website that supply was limited and some locations may be out of stock.
In response to Global News, a spokesperson from the Department of Health said public health is talking with “various partners about possibly rapid point of care tests available at other locations.”
Bruce Macfarlane said rapid care tests are currently available at 38 regional health authority community clinics, which includes 19 regular locations and 19 mobile locations.
Tests are also being handed out to travellers coming into airports, and were given to students to use over the winter break.
He added that “supply is good” and that New Brunswick has provided just over 3 million tests through various distribution channels from Dec. 1 to 17.
Breakdown of the new cases
The new cases Monday include:
- 14 in Zone 1 (Moncton region)
- 24 in Zone 2 (Saint John region)
- 53 in Zone 3 (Fredericton region)
- 17 in Zone 4 (Edmundston region)
- four in Zone 6 (Bathurst region)
- six in Zone 7 (Miramichi region)
— With a file from Nathalie Sturgeon
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