N.B. COVID-19 roundup: 3 deaths, 3 youths hospitalized, including 1 in ICU

Three more New Brunswickers with COVID-19 have died, and three people 19 or under are in hospital Thursday, including one who requires intensive care, as the province prepares to lift all COVID restrictions next Monday.

Hospitalizations and the number of people in ICU also continued to climb.

Meanwhile, the Horizon Health Network and Vitalité Health Network have both announced their hospitals and health-care centres will remain at the red alert level, following the removal of Public Health restrictions in the community.

"It is important to maintain these measures as an additional safeguard for the health-care system, as New Brunswick continues to see significant daily case counts and continues to see hundreds of our health-care staff unable to report to work following a positive test," Horizon president and CEO Dr. John Dornan said in a statement.

Vitalité also cited the "high" number of hospitalizations and health-care workers off the job because of COVID.

The seven-day average of COVID-related ICU bed occupancies jumped to 11 Thursday from nine, while the seven-day average of COVID-related hospitalizations increased to 94 from 93, the province's COVID-19 dashboard shows.

ICU occupancy provincewide increased to 72 per cent from 69 per cent, while hospital capacity remains steady at 90 per cent.

As of Thursday, 596 health-care workers across the province are isolating after testing positive for COVID-19, 17 more than Wednesday, according to the dashboard. It does not indicate if or how many others are isolating as a precaution.

The majority of them, 352, work for Horizon, while 176 work for Vitalité, and 68 for Extra-Mural and Ambulance New Brunswick.

"It is important to protect the most vulnerable individuals and our health-care workers," Vitalité said in a status report.. This is why the protection measures in effect within the health-care system must be lifted "gradually and carefully," it said.

On Feb. 24, when Premier Blaine Higgs announced plans to remove all measures by March 14, he said: "Horizon and Vitalité say they are managing the situation and are actively transitioning back to normal operation."

Asked Thursday about that statement, Higgs acknowledged that the number of health-care workers off the job "continues to be an issue" and is "very concerning."

"I find that difficult to understand as well," Higgs said, suggesting it's not all COVID-related. "There's a lot of absenteeism in the system," he said, citing excess work, fatigue and stress.

But the province's dashboard clearly states all 596 are "health-care workers positive for COVID-19 and isolating."

The hospitals had high occupancy levels before COVID, Higgs added.

Vitalité said its red status will remain in place "until further notice." It's monitoring the situation closely and working with the Department of Health and the Horizon Health Network to plan next steps, it said.

The virus has not left the province but as we move forward, I am confident that we can take the lessons we have learned throughout this pandemic and manage our personal risks and protect ourselves and those around us.- Yves Léger, acting deputy chief medical officer of health

In a news release, the Department of Health said access to health-care centres, such as hospitals, has always been subject to specific infection prevention control measures, known as IPC.

"These IPC measures will evolve over time as the risk within hospitals decreases and will be communicated by the regional health authorities," it said.

For now, patients and designated support people entering Horizon and Vitalité centres will continue to be asked COVID-19 screening questions, required to disinfect their hands, wear a medical, KN-95 or N-95 mask, and to respect physical distancing.

General visitors are still prohibited.

"The virus has not left the province but as we move forward, I am confident that we can take the lessons we have learned throughout this pandemic and manage our personal risks and protect ourselves and those around us," Dr. Yves Léger, acting deputy chief medical officer of health, said in a statement.

He cited the "ongoing management of our hospitals," vaccination uptake and the commitment of New Brunswickers over the past two years for the province being able to remove the provincial mandatory restrictions at 12:01 a.m. Monday.

Public Health will continue to provide advice and guidance on how people can reduce their risk and will also provide COVID-19 surveillance, according to the news release.

"They will alert the public when there is increased risk due to the virus spreading, similar to what is done for other communicable diseases," it said.

Hospital services

The Horizon Health Network is "making significant progress" with the resumption of elective surgeries and ambulatory/outpatient appointments that were postponed during the height of the Omicron wave, according to a news release.

Horizon has allocated additional resources aimed at addressing backlogs in medical imaging departments, ambulatory care clinics and other outpatient services experiencing longer wait times. These will provide quicker turnaround times, expand appointment options and faster results with the goal of improving patient/client care and outcomes, it said.

No changes to testing

There will be no changes to requirements for PCR tests or rapid testing kits after COVID measures are lifted, according to a news release.

People with symptoms are still encouraged to book a PCR test or obtain a rapid test kit through the online portal, Public Health said.

PCR tests are reserved for people 50 years of age and older or two years of age and under, as well other priority groups.

Rapid tests are reserved for symptomatic people who are under the age of 50 and not listed among the priority groups eligible for a PCR test.

To request a PCR test or to obtain a rapid test kit, people must book an appointment on the government's website.

Vaccination clinics to end

The mass COVID-19 vaccination clinics run by regional health authorities will remain operational until the end of the month.

In April, participating pharmacies and regional public health offices will provide COVID-19 vaccines and boosters.

Children aged five to 18 will also be able to receive their vaccines during regular school-based immunization program appointments, Public Health announced in a news release.

Vaccination rates didn't budge Thursday. A total of 50.5 per cent of eligible New Brunswickers have received their COVID-19 vaccine booster dose, 87.3 per cent have received two vaccine doses, and 92.9 per cent have received one dose.

Dashboard plans

Starting next week, the COVID-19 dashboard will be updated weekly for the remainder of the month of March as Public Health "transitions to a new reporting format."

The weekly report will be published on Tuesdays with data up to, and including, the previous Saturday.

The Department of Health has not responded to repeated questions about whether the same COVID data will still be provided when the province switches to weekly updates on Public Health's communicable diseases website.

"New Brunswickers should incorporate good public health practices in all aspects of their lives," Dr. Yves Léger, acting deputy chief medical officer of health, said in a statement. "These practices are beneficial no matter the number of cases or hospitalizations in the province."

Breakdown of cases

The latest deaths include a person in their 70s in the Moncton region, Zone 1, a person in their 70s and another in their 80s in the Fredericton region, Zone 3.

There are 101 people in hospital, up three from Wednesday, including 18 in intensive care, an increase of two. Six of them are on ventilators.

Of those in hospital, 53 were admitted for COVID-19 and 48 were initially admitted for something else when they tested positive for the virus. Of the 18 in an ICU, 15 are "for COVID" patients.

In addition to the two people aged 19 or under, there are two in their 20s, five in their 30s, four in their 40s, six in their 50s, 14 in their 60s, 24 in their 70s, 19 in their 80s, and seven in their 90s, the dashboard shows.

In addition to the one person 19 or under in intensive care, there are two in their 40s, one is in their 50s, seven are in their 60s, six are in their 70s and one is in their 80s.

Public Health confirmed 455 new cases of COVID-19 through lab-based PCR tests, putting the active case count at 3,963, an increase of 106.

An additional 492 people self-reported testing positive on rapid tests.

The regional breakdown of the PCR-confirmed cases includes:

Moncton region, Zone 1

• 153 new cases and 1,195 active cases

Saint John region, Zone 2

• 111 new cases and 974 active cases

Fredericton region, Zone 3

• 72 new cases and 861 active cases

Edmundston region, Zone 4

• 21 new cases and 210 active cases

Campbellton region, Zone 5

• 13 new cases and 134 active cases

Bathurst region, Zone 6

• 56 new cases and 375 active cases

Miramichi region, Zone 7

• 29 new cases and 214 active cases

A total of 747,066 PCR tests have been conducted to date, including 1,545 on Wednesday.

New Brunswick has had 41,109 cases of COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic, with 36,828 recoveries so far and 316 COVID-related deaths.

Businesses on next steps

Cineplex is reviewing what the next phase means for movie-goers, a spokesperson wrote in an email to CBC. Masks are currently required inside its locations in New Brunswick.

"We are pleased to see restrictions continue to ease in New Brunswick … Our team has proven that we can safely operate during the pandemic and we can't wait to welcome even more guests back to the theatres in the coming weeks."

In an email, Costco said its locations will follow any face mask regulations in the applicable province.

"In communities where COVID-19 transmission is high or substantial, per current public health guidance, Costco strongly recommends that all members and guests wear face masks inside our locations."

The COVID dashboard, which provides daily information on COVID cases, will switch to weekly next week for the rest of the month before being dropped.

The province plans to post weekly COVID data on Public Health's communicable diseases website.

Province seeks Order of New Brunswick nominations 

The province is seeking nominations for the Order of New Brunswick, and that includes people who have made extraordinary contributions to the COVID-19 pandemic response.

The Order of New Brunswick, the highest honour awarded by the province, typically celebrates the achievements of New Brunswickers who have contributed to the province's economic, cultural and social development.

"In my role, I have met many New Brunswickers who lift their communities upward, break down barriers for their peers, and set a standard for excellence in their domains through hard work and perseverance," Lt.-Gov. Brenda Murphy said in a statement.

"Indeed, it is because of exceptional and committed people that New Brunswickers have been able to respond with such strength and unity to the pandemic effort over the past two years."

Any Canadian citizen who is a present or former long-term resident of the province is eligible for nomination.

Nominations will be accepted until April 1. Recipients will be announced on New Brunswick Day, Aug. 1.

"Over the years, this recognition offered to resilient, selfless people with exceptional know-how has become a unifying moment for our entire province," said Premier Blaine Higgs, "as it highlights individual successes that have consequently become collective."

More than 190 people have been recognized since the Order of New Brunswick was established in 2000.