The Saint John region has seen an increasing number of new COVID-19 cases just days after the 2022 Memorial Cup tournament concluded.
In its latest weekly COVID-19 update, Public Health reported 286 PCR-confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 483 positive self-reported POCT tests in Zone 2 alone.
The update indicated there was a combined 1,915 new positive tests across the province.
Businesses in the region have seen their staff hit hard by the recent increase, with some forced to temporarily close their doors.
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On Monday night, Big Tide Brewing in Uptown announced it was temporarily reducing hours of operation after several staff members contracted COVID-19.
“Right now, we ended up with two servers that tested positive on Sunday, I tested positive on Monday and one of the cooks tested positive yesterday,” owner Chris Vair said in a Zoom interview Wednesday morning.
But, on Wednesday afternoon, two more employees had tested positive, and in an email to Global News, Vair confirmed that they would be closing “for at least a couple of days,” hoping some staff might be ready to go. leave this weekend.
Vair noted that, so far, all members of the brewery who have contracted the virus are doing well.
“I don’t know if we’re suffering the consequences now or not, but it was still good, we wouldn’t change it, it was still good,” Vair said.
Just a few blocks from Big Tide Brewing is McGill’s, where some staff members have also tested positive for the virus.
“We’ve had those issues, actually I had COVID in the middle of the Memorial Cup so I had to isolate myself for five days during the tournament and I couldn’t help so it was hard but everyone is working. that,” owner Corey McGill said.
The restaurant is fully staffed, McGill said, but that can change quickly if multiple workers get sick.
While the Saint John Region Chamber of Commerce was not available for an interview Wednesday, CEO David Duplisea noted that the situation is “seeping through,” although, at this point, they are not concerned.
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Memorial Cup Champion Sea Dogs parade through Saint John
This resurgence in COVID-19 comes as memories of hosting the Memorial Cup are still fresh in Saint Johners’ minds.
After about two weeks of games, activities and events, a hometown victory for the Saint John Sea Dogs drew thousands of fans to the streets for a celebratory parade.
However, according to New Brunswick’s top doctor, this is no time to point fingers.
“I wouldn’t necessarily use the word blame. Again, I think the risks are higher when you’re indoors, we’ve always known that, and lower when you’re outdoors. So when people make decisions about gatherings, who they meet with, whether to wear a mask, et cetera,” Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Jennifer Russell said in an interview Tuesday.
According to data provided by Horizon Health Network, 41 employees in the Saint John region are not working due to COVID-19. In an email, spokesman Kris McDavid said the number is down 13 compared to Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the network has a total of 73 staff members across New Brunswick out of work due to the virus.
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