N.B. COVID-19 roundup: 3 more deaths, 7-day average of hospitalizations up

New Brunswick recorded three more COVID-related deaths Saturday, and while hospitalizations and ICU cases decreased slightly, the seven-day average for both increased, Tuesday's dashboard update shows.

The data for Sunday through Tuesday has not yet been released since a full week hasn't passed since the switch to the new system.

The dashboard is now being updated weekly, instead of daily, for the rest of the month.

Last Friday in a news release the government said: "The weekly report will be published on Tuesday with data up until, and including, the previous Saturday."

On Tuesday, on Twitter, it said: "Future weekly updates will include data from Sunday to Saturday."

In April, the dashboard will be dropped altogether, and COVID information will instead be shared weekly in the communicable disease section of the Public Health website.

The changes come as the province dropped all COVID restrictions on Monday.

The latest deaths include a person in their 60s and another in their 90s from the Moncton region, Zone 1, and one in their 70s from the Saint John region, Zone 2, the dashboard shows.

As of Saturday, there are 99 people in hospital, down from 103 on Friday, including three people aged 19 or under.

Thirteen people require intensive care, down from 14, and seven of them are on ventilators, unchanged.

Of those in hospital, 46 were admitted for COVID-19, and 53 were initially admitted for something else when they tested positive for the virus. Of the 13 in an ICU, 11 are "for COVID" patients.

The seven-day average of COVID-related hospitalizations increased to 98 Saturday, from 96, while the seven-day average of COVID-related ICU bed occupancies is now 13, up from 12.

There were 513 health-care workers off isolating Saturday, down from 577. That includes 300 from Horizon, 154 from Vitalité, and 59 from Extra-Mural and Ambulance New Brunswick.

Hospital capacity provincewide is listed at 90 per cent, up from 89 per cent on Friday, while ICU occupancy decreased to 71 per cent, from 77 per cent.

Public Health confirmed 808 new cases of COVID-19 through lab-based PCR tests Saturday, putting the active case count at 4,190.

An additional 807 people self-reported testing positive on rapid tests.

The regional breakdown of the PCR-confirmed cases includes:

Moncton region, Zone 1

• 319 new cases and 1,330 active cases

Saint John region, Zone 2

• 158 new cases and 1,007 active cases

Fredericton region, Zone 3

• 143 new cases and 841 active cases

Edmundston region, Zone 4

• 36 new cases and 222 active cases

Campbellton region, Zone 5

• 25 new cases and 138 active cases

Bathurst region, Zone 6

• 76 new cases and 415 active cases

Miramichi region, Zone 7

• 51 new cases and 237 active cases

A total of 751,064 PCR tests have been conducted to date.

As of Saturday, 50.7 per cent of eligible New Brunswickers have received their COVID-19 vaccine booster dose, up from 50.6 per cent on Friday, 87.4 per cent have received two vaccine doses, up from 87.3 per cent, and 92.9 per cent have received one dose, unchanged.

New Brunswick has had 42,320 cases of COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic, with 37,808 recoveries so far and 320 COVID-related deaths.

Principals have power to exclude COVID-positive pupils

Principals now have the authority to send home from school a student who has, or is suspected of having, COVID-19, the Department of Education has confirmed.

"A principal may exclude a pupil who is, or is suspected to be, affected with an acute communicable disease from school property, as per section 20 of the Education Act, based on Public Health's School Exclusion Guidelines," department spokesperson Flavio Nienow said.

On Monday, those guidelines were updated online to include COVID-19 on the list of infectious and communicable diseases, he said.

"This list is a guideline for principals on how to respond, if deemed necessary, when students who are experiencing symptoms that may disrupt their own learning or potentially present a risk to the health and safety of other students or staff," Nienow said in an emailed statement.

"For example, if a student is experiencing symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting or high fever, the principal would ask the parents to pick up their child from school."

The "minimum exclusion period" guidance for COVID-19 cases is "until symptoms have improved and [the] child has not had [a] fever for 24 hours," the document shows.

Public Health will advise school district superintendents of the updated guidelines, Nienow said.

Up until Monday, Public Health measures, such as mandatory isolation for positive cases and universal masking, applied to schools. But all provincial restrictions were lifted Monday at 12:01 a.m. with the end of the emergency order.

Section 20 of the Education Act, which deals with acute communicable disease or acute communicable infestation, states:

• A principal may exclude from school property a pupil who is or is suspected to be affected with an acute communicable disease or an acute communicable infestation.
• Where a pupil has been excluded from school property under this section, the principal may require the pupil to produce a medical certificate of freedom from contagion or infestation before allowing the pupil to return to school.

This is, as noted by Lyle Skinner, an Ottawa-based constitutional lawyer who specializes in parliamentary law, a stronger power than the guidance the province had been offering schools, which was simply to encourage students who test positive for COVID-19 to stay home.

On Friday, CBC News asked the Department of Education whether it had issued any guidance to principals on when to use this power in relation to COVID-19.

Late Monday, Nienow replied saying, "As of today, COVID-19 is not included on the list," which includes 26 other diseases, such as measles, mumps and whooping cough.

"Discussions are underway at the Department of Health on whether to add COVID-19 to the School Exclusion Guidelines," he said.

Meanwhile, the department sent a memo to school district superintendents and school principals on March 4 "setting the direction for schools in response to the lifting of Public Health COVID-19 restrictions.

"In the memo, the department is clear that students and school personnel should be encouraged to stay home when they are sick," said Nienow.

"Even though some safety measures are no longer mandatory, Public Health is still recommending individuals continue to test for COVID-19 if they have symptoms, and are encouraging individuals to stay home until they are feeling better — specifically until they've had no fever for 24 hours."

On Tuesday afternoon, Nienow emailed a correction, saying the department was unaware Monday that COVID-19 had been added to the list. "We apologize for any confusion this may have caused."

School-based vaccines to be offered, based on demand

New Brunswick will be offering COVID-19 vaccines in schools, based on demand.

Public Health has restarted the routine school-based immunization program, which provides vaccines to children in grades 7, 8 and 9, confirmed Department of Education spokesperson Flavio Nienow.

Routine vaccines include HPV, Meningococcal and tetanus, diphtheria and polio.

"These clinics will be held across all regions over the next few months to ensure these students are caught up on their vaccines and, based on demand, Public Health will be offering COVID vaccines in a school setting," Nienow said in an emailed statement.

COVID vaccines are also currently still available for children aged five and older at community clinics and participating pharmacies.

The mass clinics run by regional health authorities will only continue until the end of the month.

Starting in April, participating pharmacies and regional public health offices will provide vaccines and boosters.