New Brunswick warns that a strike by unionized provincial workers has led to the cancellation of COVID-19 testing and vaccination clinics, as well as future delays in test results.
Public Health confirmed that an 80-year-old person in Zone 5 (Campbellton region) died from COVID-19.
It is reporting 32 new cases and 70 recoveries, bringing the province’s total assets to 513.
Of the new cases, 17 were not vaccinated, four were partially vaccinated, and 11 were fully vaccinated.
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In total, 23 people are hospitalized. There are 13 people in the ICU, 10 of whom are not vaccinated. One person is partially vaccinated and two are fully vaccinated.
Currently, 85 percent of eligible New Brunswick residents are fully vaccinated and 92.6 percent have received at least their first dose of a vaccine.
CUPE strike impact
About 22,000 members of the New Brunswick branch of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) stopped working last Thursday.
Due to the labor action, a vaccination clinic at the Brookside Mall in Fredericton was canceled. The COVID-19 swab was also canceled Saturday at testing centers in Fredericton, Hartland, Moncton and Saint John, with more than 300 appointments canceled, according to the province.
“Some cases prioritized by Public Health were diverted to other places for testing,” the province said in a statement.
But the province said the microbiology laboratory at the Dr. Georges-L-Dumont University Hospital Center has been affected.
“Assessment and testing activity will be significantly affected in the next week.”
The province said it would provide an update on Monday for “mitigation plans.”
Vitalité Health Network said Sunday it was reducing the level of patient care and services at its hospitals and health care facilities in response to the strike.
“Contingency plans have been activated at all facilities and service points,” the network said in a statement.
Similarly, Horizon Health Network said it was activating its patient care plan. While the network will reduce certain services and suspend others entirely, it will continue to provide essential and emergency services.
Before contract talks broke down Tuesday night, the union was seeking a 12 percent raise over four years, while the government confirmed Thursday that it was offering an 8.5 percent pay increase over a period of five years.
CUPE New Brunswick President Steve Drost said Sunday that the union’s bargaining team was available in Fredericton and ready to resume negotiations.
Regional breakdown of new cases
The four new cases in Zone 1 (Moncton region) are as follows:
- three people, 20 to 29 years old
- a person 40-49
Three cases are under investigation and one case is a case contact.
The 17 new cases in Zone 2 (Saint John region) are as follows:
- 12 people, under 19 years
- two people 30-39
- two people 50-59
- a person 60-69
One case is under investigation and 16 cases are contacts of one case.
The two new cases in Zone 3 (Fredericton region) are as follows:
- one person, 20 to 29 years old
- a person 60-69
Both cases are under investigation.
The three new cases in Zone 4 (Edmundston region) are as follows:
- one person, age 19 or younger
- a person 30-39
- a person 40-49
One case is under investigation and two cases are case contacts.
The six new cases in Zone 7 (Miramichi region) are as follows:
- one person 20-29
- two people 40-49
- two people 70-79
- a person 80-89
All six cases are under investigation.
– With a file from The Canadian Press
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Reference-globalnews.ca