1 new case of COVID-19 in Campbellton region

Public Health is reporting one new case of COVID-19 in Campbellton, N.B., bringing the province's total to nine active cases.

The individual is in their 70s and the case is under investigation.

To date, 24,867 COVID-19 tests have been conducted, and 120 people have recovered from the respiratory disease.

Nearly 700 tests were conducted between Friday and Saturday.

Dr. Jennifer Russell, New Brunswick's chief medical officer of health, is urging people in the Campbellton area, also known as Zone 5, to get tested.

The eight other active cases in the Campbellton region are linked to a family doctor who contracted the virus outside the province and didn't self-isolate upon his return.The doctor has been suspended.

At least 150 others may have been exposed to the virus.

Three people of the nine active cases are in hospital and no patients are in intensive care.

On Friday the government announced a long-term care worker was among one of the eight cases of COVID-19 in the northern New Brunswick community.

The other confirmed cases include:

• A person in their 60s

• Two people under the age of 19

• A person in their 40s

• Two people who are in their 90s

• Someone in their 50s

The long-term care worker is in their 30s and a caregiver at the Manoir de la Valle in Atholville. All of the residents at the home were tested Friday.

• Long-term care worker among 2 new COVID-19 cases in Campbellton region linked to doctor

People living outside of Campbelltonare also in the doctor's circle of transmission, Dr. Russell said at Friday's COVID-19 update.

The government is asking anyone who has travelled to the Campbellton region to monitor for symptoms for 14 days.

COVID-19 testing is available to anyone in the Campbellton region who wants it. Test sites are set up at the Memorial Civic Centre in Campbellton and the Dalhousie Inch Arran Ice Palace.

Mayor says case cluster is like 'horror movie'

Campbellton Regional Hospital only has four ICU beds, said Stephanie Anglehart-Paulin, the city's mayor in an interview on Friday.

Anglehart-Paulin said she'd like the city to roll back to Phase Red until the test results are back. In that phase, family bubbles would be disbanded and restaurants would be forced to close.

"We have three pharmacies and two grocery stores that the 20,000 regional population go to. Even if it was two weeks ago, we may have people that have it that don't know they have it," she said.

Campbellton moved back to Phase Orange earlier this week. The rest of the province is in Phase Yellow. Phase Orange still allows for families to bubble and restaurants to open for dine-in services.

The mayor likened the cluster of cases in her small town to a horror movie.

"We thought it would never happen to Campbellton, and here we are today."

Anglehart-Paulin urged people to refrain from being "deplorable and hateful" toward the doctor alleged to have brought COVID-19 back into the province.