New Brunswick health officials reported Saturday that the province has reached a grim milestone, surpassing 20,000 reported COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic.
The province confirmed 20,278 infections, including 421 in the past 24 hours.
COVID-19-related hospitalizations have reached 80 — a new record for the province.
There are now 7,898 known active cases — another new record for the province.
Of the 80 New Brunswickers hospitalized, 17 are in ICU and 11 are on a ventilator.
There have been 80 recoveries in the past 24 hours and no new deaths.
As of Saturday, the province has administered 1,488,815 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, of which 680,639 have received a first dose and 623,892 received a second dose. According to the dashboard, 184,284 residents have received a booster dose.
Beginning Monday, all New Brunswickers aged 18 and over will be eligible to book a booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, as long as five months have passed since their second dose.
“This is an important step forward in protecting New Brunswickers from the impacts of Omicron,” said Health Minister Dorothy Shephard in a news conference Friday.