COVID-19 kills 6 more in N.B., as hospitalizations and cases rise

Six more New Brunswickers have died from COVID-19, the same number as last week, while hospitalizations because of the virus and new confirmed cases have both increased, figures released by the province Tuesday show.

The number of people in intensive care, however, has dropped to zero, from three.

Meanwhile, the two regional health authorities, which count people admitted to hospital because of COVID-19, as well as those initially admitted for another reason who later test positive for the virus, say there are three people in ICU and 102 hospitalized — a nearly 28 per cent increase.

At the national level, COVID deaths continue to decrease and there has been a "slight increase" in COVID-19 hospitalizations, according to the COVIDWatch report.

Case counts and outbreak incidence "continue to stabilize or decrease" across the country, however, some provinces and territories are reporting increasing case counts, the report notes.

Neighbouring Maine, meanwhile, has seen "an uptick" in case counts following a period of general decline, with a seven-day average of 174 cases, up from 122 a week ago, the report says.

Person in 50s among dead, youth among new admissions

The latest New Brunswick deaths include a person in their 50s, four in their 80s and one 90 or older. COVID has now killed 621 people in the province since the beginning of the pandemic.

Thirty-two people were newly admitted to hospital for COVID-19 between Nov. 27 and Dec. 3, compared to 27 the previous week.

A youth aged 10 to 19 is among the new admissions, the report shows. The others include a person in their 20s, one in their 40s, one in their 50s, seven in their 60s, seven in their 70s, nine in their 80s and five who are 90 or older.

The number of people currently hospitalized for COVID-19 also increased this week to 40, from 38.

More than 1,000 new cases

More than 1,000 new cases of COVID-19 have been reported this week, including 606 confirmed through a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) lab test, up from 596 PCR-confirmed cases.

The other 405 cases were confirmed through people self-reporting positive rapid test results.

There are now 872 active cases of COVID across the province, based on PCR-confirmed cases alone, up from 790.

The seven-day moving average of PCR-confirmed cases is 88, up from 85.

Dr. Yves Léger, the acting chief medical officer of health, was unavailable again Tuesday for an interview, said Department of Health spokesperson Adam Bowie.

Of the most recent random samples of positive test results sent for genetic sequencing, 91 per cent were the highly transmissible Omicron subvariant BA.5, seven per cent were the Omicron subvariant BA.4, and two per cent were the Omicron subvariant BA.2. The Department of Health does not provide a further breakdown of sublineages, such as the immune-evasive BQ.1,  BQ.1.1 and  BA.2.75.2.

At the national level, "the previously leading BA.5 lineages are declining, while BQ.1, BQ.1.1 and BF.7 continue to demonstrate steady increases," the COVIDWatch report says.

According to the Department of Health, another 3,394 COVID-19 vaccine doses were administered in the past week, including 139 first doses, 118 second doses, 356 first booster doses, and 2,781 second booster doses.

A total of 90.8 per cent of eligible New Brunswickers have now received their first dose (up from 90.7 per cent), 85.7 per cent have received two doses (up from 85.6 per cent), 54.3 per cent have received a booster shot (unchanged), and 27.4 per cent have received their second booster (up from 26.9 per cent).

New Brunswick has had 83,425 confirmed cases of COVID so far, with 81,932 of them now considered resolved.

Horizon and Vitalité data

Horizon Health Network has 81 patients in hospital either for or with COVID-19, as of Saturday, up from 64, according to its weekly COVID dashboard. Three of them require intensive care, down from eight.

Vitalité Health Network has 21 COVID-19 patients hospitalized, up from 16, its dashboard shows. None are in intensive care, down from one.

Of the Horizon hospitalizations, the Moncton region, Zone 1, and Fredericton region, Zone 3, are tied for the largest share of patients at 29 each, followed by the Saint John region, Zone 2, with 17, and the Miramichi region, Zone 7, with six.

Of the Vitalité hospitalizations, the Dr. Georges-L.-Dumont hospital in Moncton has nine patients, the Edmundston Regional Hospital and Campbellton Regional Hospital each have four patients, and the Chaleur Regional Hospital in Bathurst has three patients.

Both regional health authorities have fewer health-care workers off the job after testing positive for COVID-19.

Horizon has 85 infected employees, down from 92, while Vitalité has 52, down from 56.

There are 11 COVID-19 outbreak units at Horizon hospitals, up from nine. These include four in the Moncton region, three in the Saint John region and four in the Fredericton region. No other details are provided.

 Vitalité has only one outbreak at the Restigouche Hospital Centre's forensic psychiatry unit, rehabilitation.