New Brunswick reported 156 new cases of COVID-19 and announced that as of Dec. 27 the province will move to Alert Level 2 in response to the rising number of cases in Atlantic Canada and across the country.
The province’s chief medical officer of health, Dr. Jennifer Russell, said COVID-19 infections have risen everywhere and it’s only a matter of time until New Brunswick faces the same spike.
“The Omicron variant is far more contagious,” said Russell at a COVID-19 briefing.
She explained that when the Omicron variant replaces Delta as the dominant strain, the province expects numbers will double every three days, so public health could see up to 250 new cases each day.
There could also be as many as 400 cases a day by the end of January.
“Restrictions introduced last week will reduce the spread, but not stop it,” said Russell. “We will have to do more the weeks and days ahead to get more New Brunswickers vaccinated and boosted.”
In the meantime, hospitalization numbers have been stable. As of Tuesday, 41 patients are in hospital, of whom 19 are in ICU.
“We are all watching with concern,” said New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs, announcing that the province will move to Alert Level 2.
Higgs said the province wants to make sure the health system won’t be overwhelmed by increasing hospitalizations and the new restrictions would help ensure that.
Beginning Dec. 27 at 11:59 a.m., New Brunswickers will need to limit households to 10 individuals under the Level 2 alert.
Restaurants, businesses, and gyms will be required to operate at 50 per cent capacity, and physical distancing of two metres or barriers between tables must be enforced. The same applies to salons/spas and entertainment centres.
Higgs said faith venues will have to operate at 50 per cent capacity with no choir.
“This is the season to help others by…getting vaccinated and getting tested when necessary,” he said.
-More to come