N.B. Covid Winter Action Plan Contains Familiar Restrictions
SAINT JOHN–New Brunswick’s chief medical officer of health said Friday that while some of the hardest lessons around Covid-19 have come over the last four months, colder weather, fewer daylight hours, and more time indoors are what will allow the virus to spread more quickly heading into the Winter season.
Dr. Jennifer Russell said during Friday’s provincial update that New Brunswick’s Winter Action Plan for Covid-19 will safeguard the mental, emotional, and physical health of New Brunswickers, protect the province’s health care system, and minimize disruptions to daily life.
New Brunswick health minister Dorothy Shephard briefly outlined the province’s three-level Covid-19 action plan for the winter, confirming it will go into effect December 4 at 11:59 p.m. and remain in place “until spring.”
The province will begin at Level 1, the lowest of the three levels according to Shephard. She said Level 1 is “similar to the measures that we are currently living under.”
Shephard said instead of tracking a household’s steady-twenty of social contacts, informal indoor gatherings in homes will now be limited to a maximum of 20 individuals, a cap Shephard said, “is consistent with several other provinces.”
Informal private outdoor gatherings are limited to 50 individuals, and both Shephard and Dr. Russell mentioned everyone should keep their personal contacts as low as possible.
Shephard said the Department of Public Safety will continue to check with those who are directed to self-isolate in an effort to help enforcement. She noted gatherings remain the largest risk when it comes to enforcing any restrictions related to the province’s Winter Action Plan.
Also under Level 1, masks are required in outdoor public spaces when physical distancing cannot be maintained. Physical distancing is required in public spaces where proof of vaccination is not required.
“That means malls, grocery stores, retail stores, salons, and spas must enforce physical distancing between patrons,” said Shephard.
“Disruptions may happen over the course of the winter,” said Dr. Russell. “There may be times when enhanced restrictions on gatherings and businesses may be required in specific regions or across the province to arrest the spread of the Covid-19 virus. But if we all actively live with Covid-19, and take common-sense precautions, we will be giving ourselves a better chance of limiting the impact of the virus on our province.”
97 New Cases Reported Friday
Public Health officials reported 97 new cases of Covid-19 in New Brunswick on Friday, against 75 recoveries. As of Friday, the active case count in the province stands at 711.
Friday’s update also confirmed two more people in New Brunswick have died from the virus.
According to Dr. Russell, increases in infections and hospitalizations over the past two weeks are still coming disproportionately from a number of those who are unvaccinated. Dr. Russell said the rate of infected cases was 8.8 per 100,000 fully vaccinated New Brunswickers, versus 32.9 per 100,000 thousand who were unvaccinated.
Fifty-nine percent of those hospitalized in the province are over 60, a segment already eligible for a third dose booster for the vaccine.
Russell confirmed that booster eligibility for approved Covid-19 vaccines will be expanded to those in their 50s sometime next week, followed by those in their 40s “in the coming weeks” before becoming available for all other New Brunswickers.
So far, more than 53,000 third-dose vaccinations have already been administered in the province, according to Dr. Russell, whose main message to New Brunswickers ahead of the holidays was to “avoid gatherings during the weeks ahead.”
She said with the Omicron variant emerging, public health is now monitoring 55 people who are “spread out across the province” who have travelled to the 10 countries where the new variant was known to be present. Those who have been are being directed to self-isolate in their homes.
Levels 2 and 3 of the Winter Action Plan were briefly touched on by Shephard, who directed New Brunswickers to see the steps online at the province’s website.
Shephard did share that Levels 2 and 3 would include reduced household bubbles, lower capacities for public spaces, such as retail and restaurants, and no travel into or out of local areas.
“At this time, the education system will continue to follow existing plans for schools and for early learning and childcare facilities,” she said.
“As for how we determine the level criteria has been identified, that will cause public health to look closer at what is occurring in specific areas or zones,” said Shephard. “These criteria are based on things like the number of active cases, the rate of positive tests, and hospitalizations.”
“We’ve been through these types of changes before,” said Dr. Russell, who again urged the public to avoid large gatherings so everyone can have as normal a Christmas as possible.
Tyler Mclean is a Huddle reporter based in Fredericton. Send him your feedback and story ideas: [email protected].