New Brunswick reported 116 new COVID-19 cases Thursday, more than 30 percent of which involve people who were fully vaccinated.
Public Health says that of the new cases, 71 (61.2 percent) were not vaccinated, 10 (8.6 percent) were partially vaccinated and 35 (30.2 percent) were fully vaccinated.
“While we continue to see emerging cases in the vaccinated population, we know that you are 16 times more likely to contract COVID-19 if you are not vaccinated. If you’re vaccinated, you’re also much less likely to get seriously ill or end up in the hospital, ”said Dr. Jennifer Russell, chief medical officer for health, in a statement.
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With 66 reported recoveries, there are now 825 active cases in the province. There are 55 people hospitalized, 31 of them in an intensive care unit.
Of those in the hospital, Public Health says 41 are not vaccinated, three are partially vaccinated and 11 are fully vaccinated.
Currently, no one under the age of 19 is hospitalized.
The province said it reached a milestone Thursday, with 90.1 percent of the eligible population receiving at least their first dose of a vaccine.
Meanwhile, 81.1 percent of eligible New Brunswick residents are fully vaccinated.
Confirmed cases in schools, kindergartens
A rapid testing program will be implemented for schools beginning October 12.
Additionally, the Department of Early Childhood Education and Development has updated its outbreak management process. A new dashboard will be available on school data “in the coming days.”
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Since the beginning of the school year, cases have been confirmed in 81 schools and 44 early childhood education and childcare centers.
New positive cases have been confirmed in schools and daycare centers in Zone 1 (Moncton region), Zone 2 (Saint John region), Zone 3 (Fredericton region), and Zone 6 (Bathurst region).
Are:
Zone 1 (Moncton region)
- Northrop Frye School in Moncton (previously affected)
- Maplehurst School in Moncton (previously affected)
- East Coast Kids Child Care and Learning Center in Hillsborough (previously impacted)
Zone 2 (San Juan region)
- Campobello Island Consolidated School
Zone 3 (Fredericton region)
- Stanley Consolidated School
- Hartland Community School (previously impacted)
Zone 6 (Bathurst region)
- Upper Secondary School in Bathurst
Vitalité Health Network Hospitals and Facilities on Red Alert
Vitalité Health Network announced Thursday that all of its hospitals and facilities, including the Dr. Georges-L.-Dumont University Hospital Center in Moncton, Edmundston Regional Hospital, and Chaleur Regional Hospital, will be on red alert beginning October 12. .
For Campbellton Regional Hospital, the measure takes effect immediately due to an in-hospital outbreak of COVID-19.
Red alert means that all non-essential health care and services will be “significantly reduced or temporarily suspended.”
This includes outpatient care, professional services such as physical therapy, non-urgent X-rays and scans, and elective surgeries.
In a statement, the network’s president and CEO, Dr. France Desrosiers, said that the current situation with COVID-19 left them with no other option.
“We must go to red alert internally so that we can reduce or temporarily suspend non-essential services and thus reassign staff to maintain our emergency services and intensive care units and the care of COVID-19 patients who are hospitalized,” he said. .
“We must also bear in mind that this is being done in the context of a severe staff shortage, which adds to the seriousness and complexity of the situation.”
The health network said that the most recent epidemiological projections indicate an increase in the number of hospitalizations in the coming weeks and that “they must be prepared to face this.”
Patients will be contacted to reschedule appointments.
Hospitals that restrict visitors
Meanwhile, the Horizon and Vitalité health networks are restricting visitors to hospitals and healthcare facilities starting Friday.
Horizon said its “enhanced visitor restrictions” mean that visitors will not be allowed, with a few exceptions, patients eligible for a Designated Support Person (DPS).
Those eligible for a DPS are patients in:
- End of life: palliative care
- Obstetrics (labor and delivery, postpartum)
- Neonatal
- Intensive care / intensive care units
- Pediatrics
- Patients who have been in the hospital for 14 days or more
- Patients with intellectual / communication deficits (cognitive impairment leading to agitation and inability to comfort; communication impairment affecting attention)
Patients entering the emergency room and outpatient clinics who need assistance can also bring a support person.
However, support persons should monitor COVID-19 symptoms prior to the visit, participate in a pre-entry exam, wear a mask, wash their hands, and only enter the room of the person they accompany.
Similarly, Vitalité said it will temporarily cancel all hospital visits starting at 2 p.m. Friday.
The visits had already been canceled in the three hospitals in the Northwest Zone as of October 1 and in the Restigouche Hospital Center as of October 4.
“With the number of COVID-19 cases increasing continuously, the Network considers it more prudent to temporarily cancel visits at all of our hospitals until further notice,” said Desrosiers.
“This will reduce traffic at our facilities and better manage the risk of spreading the virus.”
Again, exceptions will be made for those eligible for a DSP.
Circuit Breaker Measures, Thanksgiving Restrictions
Breaker measurements will begin at 6 p.m. Friday for at least 14 days in COVID-19 hot spots.
The areas to be affected are Zone 1 (Moncton region) as far north as Sainte-Anne-de-Kent and including Havelock in Zone 2; the northern portion of Zone 3 from and including Deerville and Florenceville-Bristol; and all of Zone 4 (Edmundston region), including Menneval in Zone 5.
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Non-essential travel in and out of those areas is not allowed, and residents are asked to keep the bubbles in their homes.
Meanwhile, Thanksgiving weekend restrictions are in effect for the entire province from 6 p.m. Friday until 11:59 p.m. Monday.
Thanksgiving gatherings are restricted to single households – in other words, the people you live with. It can be extended to include caregivers.
Restaurants, where the province has required proof of vaccination, can open.
All other businesses can also remain open, even if they are not required to see proof of vaccination, such as beauty salons and grocery stores.
Regional breakdown of new cases
The 39 new cases in Zone 1 (Moncton region) are as follows:
- 19 people 19 years or younger
- one person 20-29
- five people 30-39
- four people 40-49
- three people 50-59
- four people 60-69
- two people 70-79
- a person 90 years of age or older
Twenty-four cases are under investigation and 15 are contacts of previously confirmed cases.
The 19 new cases in Zone 2 (Saint John region) are as follows:
- eight people age 19 or younger
- four people 30-39
- four people 40-49
- a person 50-59
- a person 60-69
- a person 70-79
Fourteen cases are under investigation and five are contacts of previously confirmed cases.
The 20 new cases in Zone 3 (Fredericton region) are as follows:
- seven people age 19 or younger
- four people 30-39
- three people 40-49
- four people 50-59
- two people 80-89
Seventeen cases are under investigation and three are contacts of previously confirmed cases.
The 20 new cases in Zone 4 (Edmundston region) are as follows:
five people age 19 or younger
- one person 20-29
- four people 30-39
- four people 40-49
- three people 50-59
- two people 60-69
- a person 90 years of age or older
Sixteen cases are under investigation and four are contacts of previously confirmed cases.
The 11 cases in Zone 5 (Campbellton region) are as follows:
- six people 60-69
- two people 70-79
- two people 80-89
- a person 90 years of age or older
Ten cases are under investigation and one is a contact from a previously confirmed case.
The five new cases in Zone 6 (Bathurst region) are as follows:
- three people 20-29
- a person 30-39
- a person 50-59
Two cases are under investigation and three cases are contacts of previously confirmed cases.
The two new cases in Zone 7 (Miramichi region) are as follows:
- one person 20-29
- a person 30-39
Both cases are under investigation.
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