Circuit Breaker Set To End In Saint John Region, But Will Remain In Moncton Area
FREDERICTON – New Brunswick reported 70 new cases of Covid-19 and 38 more recoveries on Thursday as the number of active cases climbed to 580.
Public Health said there were 22 new cases in the Saint John health region (Zone 2), where a circuit breaker is set to be lifted at 6 p.m. Friday.
Dr. Jennifer Russell, chief medical officer of health, said they are monitoring the situation but have no plans to keep the circuit breaker in effect.
“Many of the positive cases today are from people who previously had positive results from rapid tests and were already self-isolating while they waited for confirmation of a PCR test,” Russell said in a news release.
“Public Health remains comfortable removing the circuit breaker in the zone as those people were isolating.”
The Moncton health region (Zone 1) reported the second-highest number of new cases on Thursday at 21. While the circuit breaker will also be lifted in much of the zone on Friday evening, it will continue for another seven days in Moncton, Riverview, and Dieppe.
Russell said the issue in Greater Moncton is that people have not been properly self-isolating or following the circuit breaker restrictions.
“It is critical that everyone follows the rules and not have gatherings in homes as we have seen transmission in households from people who shouldn’t be in the home in the first place, due to the circuit breaker restrictions,” she said.
Additionally, a circuit breaker will take effect at 6 p.m. Friday for much of Zone 7 (Miramichi region), which reported 16 new cases on Thursday.
Elsewhere in the province, there were nine cases in the Fredericton region and one each in the Edmundston and Bathurst regions.
There are 18 people in the hospital, including 11 in intensive care. Fourteen of those in the hospital are unvaccinated, one is partially vaccinated, and three are fully vaccinated.
According to Public Health, 86.3 per cent of eligible New Brunswickers are now fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and 93 per cent have received their first dose of a vaccine.
A list of potential public exposures to COVID-19 can be found online.
Cases rise in Oromocto First Nation
The Oromocto First Nation, near Fredericton, is dealing with a spike in COVID-19 cases.
A spokesperson for Public Health said Thursday there have been 16 confirmed cases in the community since Sunday.
Bruce Macfarlane said the cases are included in the numbers for the Fredericton health region, Zone 3.
The zone, which includes much of central and western New Brunswick, currently has 85 active cases of COVID-19.
Elsewhere in the province, the Moncton health region has 220 active cases, the Saint John health zone has 117, and the Miramichi region has 116.
There are 22 active cases in the Campbellton region, 16 cases in the Edmundston area, and four in the Bathurst health zone.
By Brad Perry, the news director with CHSJ/Country 94, Huddle content partners.