New Brunswick reports 34 new cases of COVID-19 Friday; active cases rise to 152

HALIFAX -

New Brunswick reported 34 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, along with 12 recoveries, as the total number of active infections in the province increases to 152.

The province says 30 of the 34 new cases, or 88 per cent, were detected in people who are not fully vaccinated. 

“As we expected, COVID-19 is not going away; there are now active cases reported in all health zones, mostly among those who are not fully vaccinated,” said Dr. Cristin Muecke, deputy chief medical officer.

“Getting vaccinated is the surest and most effective way to protect yourselves, your family, those who cannot be vaccinated, and your community from the COVID-19 virus.”

Eleven new cases were reported in the Moncton region (Zone 1) involving:

• three people age 19 and under;
• five people in their 20s;
• one person in their 30s;
• one person in their 40s; and
• one person in their 50s.

Four cases are under investigation and seven cases are contacts of previously confirmed cases.

Nine new cases were reported in the Saint John region (Zone 2) involving:

• four people age 19 and under;
• two people in their 20s;
• two people in their 30s; and
• one person in their 40s.

One case is under investigation, one case is travel-related and the seven other cases are contacts of previously confirmed cases.

Eleven new cases were reported in the Fredericton region (Zone 3) involving:

• five people age 19 and under;
• two people in their 20s;
• one person in their 30s;
• two people in their 50s; and
• one person in their 60s.

Four of the cases are contacts of previously confirmed cases, six cases are travel-related and one case is under investigation.

One new case was reported in the Edmundston region (Zone 4), involving an individual in their 20s, that is under investigation.

Two new cases were reported in the Miramichi region (Zone 7), involving an individual age 19 and under and an individual in their 80s. Both cases are contacts of a previously confirmed case.

There is currently one hospitalization in New Brunswick due to COVID-19, with no one in an intensive care unit.

Public Health says two previously identified cases have been removed from the province's total because the laboratory confirmed them as false positives. The two cases were originally reported in Zone 1 (Moncton region) and Zone 2 (Saint John region).

"In rare situations, such as these two, the laboratory got a negative result when sequencing the specimen so the samples were retested. The people involved are being informed of their negative result," explains a release from N.B. health.

VACCINE UPDATE

As of Friday, 72.3 per cent of New Brunswickers age 12 and older are fully vaccinated and 83.8 per cent have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

In total, 1,082,569 vaccine doses have been administered in New Brunswick.

If you have not yet had your first or second dose, you are encouraged to go to a mobile or walk-in clinic or to book an appointment through a participating pharmacy or at a Vitalité or Horizon Health Network clinic.

All eligible New Brunswickers can book their second dose appointments now for a date that is at least 28 days after their first dose.

If you have an appointment for a vaccine but were able to get vaccinated sooner elsewhere, please be sure to contact your pharmacy or regional health authority clinic to cancel the appointment you no longer need. This will help ensure that someone else in your community can obtain their vaccination sooner.

COVID-19 CASE DATA

New Brunswick has had 2,614 cumulative cases of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic.

In total, 2,415 people have recovered, and 46 people have died in the province from COVID-19.

Public health says 1,052 tests were completed in New Brunswick on Thursday. A total of 397,908 tests have been processed since the start of the pandemic.

The number of cases are broken down by New Brunswick’s seven health zones:

• Zone 1 – Moncton region: 670 confirmed cases (95 active cases)
• Zone 2 – Saint John region: 325 confirmed cases (17 active cases)
• Zone 3 – Fredericton region: 476 confirmed cases (21 active cases)
• Zone 4 – Edmundston region: 756 confirmed cases (1 active case)
• Zone 5 – Campbellton region: 188 confirmed cases (2 active cases)
• Zone 6 – Bathurst region: 145 confirmed cases (5 active cases)
• Zone 7 – Miramichi region: 54 confirmed cases (11 active cases)

PROVINCE RELEASES BACK-TO-SCHOOL PLAN

Although New Brunswick is no longer under a mandatory order, the school year will still include several pandemic measures, including mask-use.

Education Minister Dominic Cardy said Friday morning the measures are necessary to keep unvaccinated children safe.

"As employees of the provincial government, school and district staff will be required to be vaccinated or undergo regular testing," according to a release.

Back-to-school measures differ for children in kindergarten to grade eight, and those in high school.

They include required masks in indoor common areas and on buses, limited visitors, and virtual assemblies and concerts. The full back-to-school plan can be accessed on the N.B. government website.

POTENTIAL PUBLIC EXPOSURES

Anyone with symptoms of the virus, as well as anyone who has been at the site of a possible public exposure, is urged to request a test online or call Tele-Care at 811 to get an appointment.