N.B. COVID-19 death toll increases by 4, child under 4 hospitalized
Virus activity remains 'moderate' and 'stable,' according to Respiratory Watch report
COVID-19 has killed at least four more New Brunswickers aged 65 or older, and a child under four was among those hospitalized for or with the virus between Nov. 5 and Nov. 11, figures the province released Tuesday show.
Forty-four people required hospital treatment during that period, including three admitted to intensive care — one aged 20 to 44, one aged 45 to 64 and one aged 65 or older.
That's down from 52 hospitalizations and four ICU admissions in the previous report.
"COVID-19 activity remains moderate; all indicators remained stable throughout the current reporting period," the Respiratory Watch report says.
The latest deaths raise the pandemic death toll to at least 962, but only people who die in hospital have been counted as COVID deaths since September, when the province changed its definition.
Eleven new lab-confirmed COVID outbreaks have been declared, the same number as a week ago. Five are in nursing homes and six are in facilities described only as "other," which could include adult residential homes, for example, or correctional centres.
There were 122 new cases of COVID confirmed through PCR (polymerase chain reaction) lab tests, with a positivity rate of 13 per cent. That's up from 114 cases and 12 per cent positivity in the previous report.
Since Oct. 4, 91,270 COVID-19 vaccines have been administered, according to figures from the Department of Health.
CBC has requested an interview with outgoing Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Jennifer Russell.
34 Horizon health-care workers off sick
Horizon Health Network has 60 COVID patients as of Saturday, down from 62 the previous week and 97 the week before, according to its COVID-19 dashboard.
Three of the patients require intensive care.
The number of Horizon health-care workers off the job after testing positive for COVID has jumped to 34, from 20.
Horizon still has COVID outbreaks on several hospital units, as of Tuesday. They include:
- The Moncton Hospital, oncology, general surgery, neurology, pediatrics.
- Miramichi Regional Hospital, cardiac stepdown/stroke.
- Saint John Regional hospital, rehabilitation unit.
- Dr. Everett Chalmers Regional Hospital, orthopedics, ear, nose and throat and plastic surgery.
Vitalité Health Network is updating its COVID-19 report only monthly, with the next update not expected until Nov. 27.
It does, however, update its COVID outbreaks page and reports four outbreaks, as of Nov. 16. Two are at the Dr. Georges-L.-Dumont University Hospital Centre, on the geriatric unit (3A) and nephrology unit (4F), while the Chaleur Regional Hospital and Tracadie Hospital each have one — on their medical units.
3 confirmed flu cases
Three new cases of the flu were confirmed during the reporting period, raising the seasonal total to 21.
No flu deaths or hospitalizations were reported and no influenza-like school outbreaks either, the report shows.
A total of 142,938 people have gotten their flu shot since Oct. 4, the Department of Health says.