COVID-19 kills 2 more in N.B., hospitalizations and nursing home outbreaks jump

New Brunswick reported two more deaths from COVID-19, a week-over-week jump in hospitalizations and nursing home outbreaks because of the virus, and an increase in flu cases and hospitalizations Tuesday.

The two people who died were aged 45 to 64 and 65 or older, the Respiratory Watch report shows.

Their deaths, which occurred between Dec. 3 and Dec. 9, raise the pandemic death toll to at least 972. Only confirmed cases who die in hospital are counted.

Green Party health critic Megan Mitton is calling on the Higgs government to hold a public inquiry into its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Mitton cited a CBC article that showed the province's COVID death rate last year was the highest recorded of any province or territory since vaccines became available in 2021, and higher than 47 of 50 American states.

"New Brunswick's COVID death rate since the removal of pandemic restrictions in March 2022 is appallingly high," Mitton said in a statement. "We need a full public inquiry to get to the bottom of this and the government's ongoing handling of COVID-19 over the past four years."

Auditor General Paul Martin's second and final pandemic response review report, released last week, was "limited in its scope," covering only until the end of the provincial state of emergency on March 14, 2022, said Mitton.

"I didn't feel I got all of the answers I was looking for," she said. "A full public inquiry is needed to shine a light on how we went from the lowest COVID death rate in the country to the highest."

Martin found the Department of Health was unable to provide evidence-based documentation to support 33 "key" Public Health decisions that had provincewide impact.

CBC asked the department what those 33 decisions were, but spokesperson Sean Hatchard did not provide the information.

"The department recognizes there were some improvements that could be made in the response to the next emergency," he said in an emailed statement. The department will be taking some time to review the auditor general's findings before commenting further, he added.

Highest hospitalizations, outbreaks this season

Seventy-three people were hospitalized for or with COVID during the reporting week, up from 51 in the previous report, and the highest weekly number since the respiratory season began on Aug. 27. Six people required intensive care, down from seven.

Among those hospitalized is a child under four, four people aged 20 to 44, 14 aged 45 to 64 and 54 aged 65 or older.

There were 27 COVID outbreaks — another weekly high this season, and up nearly 108 per cent from the 13 outbreaks reported a week ago.

Nursing homes account for six of the latest outbreaks, double the number in the previous report, while 21 are in "other facilities," which could include adult residential homes or correctional centres.

'Moderate' COVID activity

A total of 167 new cases of COVID have been confirmed through PCR (polymerase chain reaction) lab tests, up from 138, and the highest weekly number so far this respiratory season.

The Moncton region, Zone 1, has the majority of the cases, at 58. The regional distribution of the remaining cases includes:

• 23, Saint John region, Zone 2.
• 31, Fredericton region, Zone 3.
• Six, Edmundston region, Zone 4.
• 13, Campbellton region, Zone 5.
• 23, Bathurst region, Zone 6.
• 13, Miramichi region, Zone 7.

The positivity rate —  the percentage of the total PCR lab tests performed that produced a positive result — is 13 per cent, unchanged.

Only about 1,300 tests were conducted, compared to about 6,300 tests during the same week last year, a graphic in the report shows. The province has restricted PCR tests since April to people with symptoms who have a referral from a primary health-care provider.

"COVID-19 activity remains moderate," the report says. "Some indicators remained stable throughout the current reporting period, although an increase was observed in hospitalizations as well as number of outbreaks reported."

There have been 119,487 XBB.1.5 COVID vaccines administered since Oct. 4, up from 114,432 a week ago, according to figures from the Department of Health.

Discrepancy in seasonal totals explained

The Respiratory Watch report indicates there have been 37 COVID deaths so far this respiratory season, 890 hospitalizations, 54 ICU admissions and 219 outbreaks.

With the exception of deaths, however, these seasonal totals are all higher than the sums of the previous reports, which suggest 811 hospitalizations, 52 ICU admissions and 206 outbreaks.

Asked to explain these discrepancies, Department of Health spokesperson Sean Hatchard said the totals are revised based on new data received between reports.

"As indicated in each report, data in Respiratory Watch is subject to change due to reporting delays. Missed events are captured in subsequent reports as data becomes available," he said in an emailed statement.

"The most recent Respiratory Watch report provides the most accurate counts based on the data received at the time of reporting."

CBC requested an interview Tuesday with Dr. Yves Léger, the acting chief medical officer of health, but did not receive a response. 

Flu hospitalizations up nearly 147%

Thirty-seven people were hospitalized with the flu between Dec. 3 and Dec. 9, up from 15 the previous week — a nearly 147 per cent increase.

Two were admitted to intensive care, unchanged.

The number of flu cases confirmed by a lab, meanwhile, jumped nearly 98 per cent to 164, from 83.

These raise the total number of lab-confirmed flu cases to 350 since the respiratory season began on Aug. 27.

The Bathurst region, Zone 6, has the largest share of the new cases, at 58, followed by the Moncton region, Zone 1, with 39, and Miramichi region, Zone 7, with 36.

The Saint John region, Zone 2, has 13 cases, the Fredericton region, Zone 3, eight, Edmundston region, Zone 4, seven, and the Campbellton region, Zone 5, three.

Five schools reported influenza-like illness outbreaks, up from three. No information about the schools, the number of cases or whether it's students or staff affected has been released.

School outbreaks are based on 10 per cent absenteeism in a school because of influenza-like illness symptoms, the report says.

A total of 187,873 New Brunswickers have been vaccinated against the flu since Oct. 4.

11 Horizon hospital unit outbreaks

Horizon Health Network has 77 active COVID-19 hospitalizations, as of Saturday, up 67 per cent from its 46 COVID patients a week ago, according to its COVID dashboard.

Five people require intensive care, down from six.

 Fewer Horizon health-care workers are off the job after testing positive for COVID with a rapid test or PCR test than last week — 44, compared to 50. 

But Horizon has m ore COVID outbreaks on hospital units than a week ago — 11, as of Monday. These include:

•  The Moncton Hospital — chronic care and oncology.
• Saint John Regional Hospital — internal medicine and surgery.
• Dr. Everett Chalmers Regional Hospital — coronary care unit, palliative care, orthopedics, ear, nose throat, and plastics, and the coronary care unit.
• Charlotte County Hospital — family medicine and restorative care.
• Miramichi Regional Hospital — cardiac stepdown/stroke. 

Vitalité Health Network is updating its COVID-19 report only monthly, typically on the last Tuesday of each month. 

 Although it has been updating its hospital outbreaks page weekly, it has not updated since Dec. 12. At that time, there were outbreaks on seven hospital units.