N.B. COVID-19 roundup: 1 death, intensive care number rises to 16

New Brunswick recorded another COVID-related death Wednesday, and the number of people requiring intensive care and a ventilator continued to climb.

The latest death is a person in their 70s in the Fredericton region, Zone 3. 

There are now 16 people in intensive care, an increase of four from Tuesday. Six of them are on ventilators, up one.

A total of 98 people are in hospital, down one, including 49 who were admitted for COVID-19 and 49 who were initially admitted for something else when they tested positive for the virus.

Of the 16 in an ICU, 14 are "for COVID" patients.

School mask advocates launch petition

A New Brunswick COVID-19 advocacy group has launched a petition calling on the province to maintain masking in schools and school buses until at least the end of April.

It comes as the province is set to lift all COVID-19 restrictions, including masking, next Monday.

Now is not the time to take away the protection of universal masking in schools, said Kathleen Gadd, spokesperson for PoP (Protect our Province) NB.

There have been 12,889 cases of COVID reported at schools since the beginning of the school year — more than 10,400 of them in the past month, the Department of Education's COVID dashboard, which has been discontinued, shows.

And the province's case rate over seven days is three times the Canadian average, said Gadd, a mother of three girls in Miramichi, two in elementary school —  Renée Martin, eight, and Cameron Martin, six — and one in pre-school, Penelope Martin, four.

"Masks are very simple layers of protection, and it's something that has been required in schools since Sept. 14," she said.

"All students have masks, they're used to wearing them. That's what we've been doing so far. They do work and they work best when everyone's wearing them."

The petition, launched Monday, at the start of March Break, is addressed to Premier Blaine Higgs, Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Russell and Education Minister Dominic Cardy.

It has garnered more than 700 signatures, as of mid-Wednesday afternoon.

Marg Milburn, of Fredericton, is among them.

"I care about children!" she commented online. "As a retired public health nurse I cannot for the life of me understand what the government is doing!"

"Wearing masks at school makes sense to protect the health of kids and school staff, their families, and vulnerable people in our communities," wrote Jessica Bleasdale, also of Fredericton.

We have two years of experience that enables us to know our risks and how to best respond to them- Flavio Nienow, Department of Education spokesperson

Stephanie Lee signed: "because children shouldn't have to worry about the peer pressure of not wearing one. Especially because everyone's situation is different,." She cited those who are immunocompromised as an example.

"Common sense," wrote Debbie Adshade.

Everyone is encouraged to sign the petition, not just parents, "as increased COVID-19 transmission in New Brunswick schools will affect all residents of this province," it states.

The government is aware of the petition, said Department of Education spokesperson Flavio Nienow.

"We recognize this may be a stressful time for families as this transition takes place. It is worth noting we have two years of experience that enables us to know our risks and how to best respond to them," he said in an emailed statement.

Changes in schools as of Monday

The department "supports individuals who wish to continue wearing a mask based on their own risk assessment and comfort level, and we will work with school districts to ensure that a supportive environment is maintained for everyone," said Nienow.

The portable HEPA filtration systems that have been installed in the 60 schools without integrated ventilation systems will also continue to be used "until such a time that the school receives mechanical ventilation," he said, and class sizes, which were previously reduced, will not be changed.

On Tuesday, Nienow clarified the department's guidance that students and school staff who are COVID-19-positive should stay home, even after the province lifts isolation requirements, along with all other COVID restrictions, on March 14.

It's "highly recommended" students and staff should also practise good hygiene, such as proper handwashing and sanitization, and covering the mouth and nose with a tissue or elbow when coughing or sneezing.

In addition, the current cleaning and disinfecting protocols will continue to be in place, he said. Custodians will disinfect daily all frequently touched surfaces, such as doorknobs, handrails and cafeteria tables, and disinfecting products will continue to be available in classrooms

And while physical education and music education classes will return to regular practices, it will be "encouraged that they be taught outdoors whenever the weather permits," Nienow said.

"The department will continue to follow Public Health advice," he added.

The Premier's Office and the Department of Health did not respond to a request for comment.

School masking approach of other Atlantic provinces

In Newfoundland and Labrador, masks will continue to be required in schools until at least the Easter break in April.

"We will reassess closer to that time to determine if we will continue with masking after that date," Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Janice Fitzgerald has said.

On Prince Edward Island, masking will still be required in schools until at least March 21. School masking requirements will change in future to be consistent with public measures, Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Heather Morrison has said.

In Nova Scotia, masking at schools will be required until after the March Break holiday, which runs March 14-18, officials have said.

Breakdown of cases

The seven-day average of COVID-related ICU bed occupancies continues to hover at nine, the province's COVID-19 dashboard shows.

The seven-day average of COVID-related hospitalizations, meanwhile, decreased to 93 from 94, after increasing since last Friday.

Hospital capacity provincewide continues to remain steady at 90 per cent, while ICU occupancy dropped to 69 per cent from 77 per cent.

The number of health-care workers across the province isolating after testing positive for COVID-19 has risen to 579, six more than Tuesday.

The majority of them, 312, work for the Horizon Health Network, while the Vitalité Health Network has 179, and Extra-Mural and Ambulance New Brunswick have 88.

Public Health confirmed 342 new cases of COVID-19 through lab-based PCR tests, putting the active case count at 3,857, a decrease of 63.

An additional 498 people self-reported testing positive on rapid tests.

The regional breakdown of the PCR-confirmed cases includes:

Moncton region, Zone 1

• 74 new cases and 1,216 active cases

Saint John region, Zone 2

• 105 new cases and 924 active cases

Fredericton region, Zone 3

• 56 new cases and 859 active cases

Edmundston region, Zone 4

• 23 new cases and 201 active cases

Campbellton region, Zone 5

• 15 new cases and 121 active cases

Bathurst region, Zone 6

• 30 new cases and 346 active cases

Miramichi region, Zone 7

• 39 new cases and 191 active cases

As of Wednesday, 50.5 per cent of eligible New Brunswickers have received their COVID-19 vaccine booster dose, up from 50.4 per cent, 87.3 per cent have received two vaccine doses, unchanged, and 92.9 per cent have received one dose, unchanged again.

A total of 745,521 PCR tests have been conducted to date, including 1,642 on Tuesday.

New Brunswick has had 40,654 cases of COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic, with 36,482 recoveries so far and 313 COVID-related deaths.