COVID-19 kills 6 more in N.B., while hospital admissions, new cases decrease
Province has third highest COVID-19 hazard index in country, COVID Resources Canada finds
Six more New Brunswickers have died from COVID-19, the province announced Tuesday, while hospital admissions because of the virus, the number of new cases and the positivity rate all decreased in the past week.
All of the people who died were aged 70 or older, a comparison of data in the latest COVIDWatch report to last week's report reveals.
None of the deaths occurred during the reporting week in question, March 26 to April 1. Four occurred earlier in March and two in January, according to the report.
Deaths are subject to an average two-month lag in reporting, from date of death to the registration of death, the report says.
The latest deaths raise the province's pandemic death toll to 868.
9 admitted to hospital, 2 in ICU
Nine people were newly admitted to hospital because of COVID, down from 15 in last week's report. Two people require intensive care, up from none.
Among the new admissions is one person under 20, the youngest age category provided in the report. The others include one person aged 20 to 59, one aged 60 to 69 and six aged 70 or older.
The province no longer provides the number of people currently hospitalized, but the two regional health authorities say they have 30 people in hospital either for or with COVID, down from 49 a week ago. Three are in intensive care, unchanged.
Horizon has 21 of the patients, including two in intensive care, as of Saturday, its COVID dashboard shows, while Vitalité has the other nine, including one in intensive care, according to its weekly COVID update.
The regional breakdown of the hospitalizations includes:
- Moncton region, Zone 1 — eight (Horizon, five, Vitalité, three).
- Saint John region, Zone 2 — eight.
- Fredericton region, Zone 3 — eight.
- Edmundston region, Zone 4 — two.
- Campbellton region, Zone 5 — one.
- Bathurst region, Zone 6 — three.
The number of health-care workers off the job after testing positive for COVID-19 has increased more than 54 per cent to 54, from 35 a week ago.
Horizon has 39 positive staff (up from 24), and Vitalité has 15 (up from 11).
There are COVID-19 outbreaks on two Horizon hospital units — one in the Moncton region and the other in the Saint John region. No other details are provided. Vitalité has not updated its outbreak page. It still shows none, as of March 27.
16.3% positivity rate
A total of 155 new cases have been confirmed through 948 PCR (polymerase chain reaction) lab tests in the past week, for a positivity rate of 16.3 per cent.
A high test-positivity rate indicates a high level of community transmission.
Last week, the positivity rate was 16.6 per cent, and the previous week, 21.7 per cent.
New restrictions on PCR testing took effect Saturday. New Brunswickers who have COVID symptoms can no longer self-refer for a PCR test, which is considered the gold standard for diagnosis.
PCR tests are now only available to people with symptoms for whom "the outcome of PCR testing will directly influence treatment or care" — and they require a referral from a health-care provider, such as a doctor or nurse practitioner.
An additional 75 people self-reported testing positive on a rapid test, according to figures from the Department of Health, down from 141.
Of the 68 random positive PCR samples sent for genetic sequencing, 69 per cent were XBB, an offshoot of the Omicron BA.2 subvariant.
COVIDWatch does not indicate how many of those were cases of XBB.1.5, which has been described as immune evasive and "the most transmissible" subvariant yet.
The breakdown of the other sequenced cases includes 28 per cent Omicron subvariant BA. 5, and three per cent Omicron subvariant BA.2.
Vaccination rates at standstill
COVID-19 vaccination rates remain unchanged after only 285 people across the province rolled up their sleeves for a shot in the past week, according to figures from the Department of Health.
The rates are:
- First dose — 91.1 per cent of eligible New Brunswickers.
- Second dose — 85.9 per cent of eligible New Brunswickers.
- First booster — 54.8 per cent of eligible New Brunswickers.
- Second booster — 30.4 per cent of eligible New Brunswickers.
On Monday, the department announced spring COVID-19 vaccine boosters are now available to those considered at highest risk for severe illness, if at least five months have passed since their last vaccine dose or COVID infection.
Those eligible include:
- People aged 65 and over, especially if unsure whether they've already been infected.
- People aged 18 and over who are moderately to severely immunocompromised.
- People living in long-term care facilities.
Data suggests more than 209,000 people are eligible for these spring boosters, said department spokesperson Sean Hatchard. That includes 177,400 people aged 65 or older, 19,040 people aged 18 to 64 who are considered high risk, and 12,735 people living in long-term care settings, he said.
Other New Brunswickers aged five or older who received a fall booster dose are considered up to date, and no further doses are recommended at this time, according to the department.
No word on exceptions for spring boosters
CBC News asked Monday whether any exceptions will be made for people who don't qualify for a spring booster but live with, or have regular contact with high-risk people, such as spouses, extended family members and home care workers. On Tuesday afternoon, Hatchard did not answer directly.
"Public Health encourages everyone who meets the eligibility criteria to receive a spring booster and for those who haven't had a fall booster to get theirs now," he said in an emailed statement.
"We encourage everyone to prevent the risk of infection by using protective methods such as limiting or avoiding contact with others who have symptoms, staying home when sick, regular hand washing, and covering their nose and mouth with their elbow when coughing."
CBC requested an interview with Dr. Jennifer Russell, the chief medical officer of health, but Hatchard said she wasn't available.
1 in 24 infected, says researcher
An estimated one in 24 New Brunswickers is currently infected with COVID-19, according to an infectious diseases researcher and co-founder of COVID-19 Resources Canada.
That's up from one in 49 about a month ago.
New Brunswick has the third highest COVID hazard index in the country for the week ending April 8, at 11.1, or severe, says Tara Moriarty. The national average is 10.5.
The six-level hazard index is calculated based on several variables, such as COVID-19 wastewater data, test positivity rates, hospitalizations, intensive care unit admissions and deaths, Moriarty, an associate professor at the University of Toronto, has said.
"COVID is currently the #3 cause of hospitalizations and death" in New Brunswick, she posted on social media.
Hospitalizations and deaths because of COVID are nearly eight times higher than the lowest point in the pandemic, around early June 2021, says Moriarty, while infections according to wastewater levels and estimated long COVID cases are nearly 18 times higher.
The Department of Health spokesperson declined to comment on the hazard index Tuesday, saying staff are still waiting for one of the creators to respond to questions posed in September, including how the index was created, and the data and methodologies used.
According to the latest figures on Health Canada's website, New Brunswick was tied with Saskatchewan for the highest COVID-19 death rate in the country for the week ending March 25, at 0.7 per 100,000 population. The national average was 0.3.
For rate of COVID cases for the same week, New Brunswick ranked third among the provinces at 26 per 100,000, after P.E.I., at 70, and Quebec, at 30, the data, updated Monday, shows. The national average was 20.
"Even if you have had COVID previously, it is still important to avoid getting infected again to reduce your risk of long COVID," Moriarty tweeted.
Only B.C. and Ontario are ranked higher than New Brunswick on the hazard index, at 16.2 and 13.5, respectively, the group's website shows.
The ratings of the other Atlantic provinces include: Nova Scotia, 7.0, Newfoundland and Labrador, 6.9, and P.E.I., 6.0.
New Brunswick was previously rated the worst in the country. For the week ending March 4, the province's hazard index was 9.2, compared to the national average of 6.4.