COVID-19 kills 6 more in N.B., as hospitalizations and cases rise

Six more New Brunswickershave died from COVID-19, the same number as last week, while hospitalizations because of the virus and new confirmed cases have both increased, figures released by the province Tuesday show.

The number of people in intensive care, however, has dropped to zero, from three.

Meanwhile, the two regional health authorities,which countpeople admitted to hospital because of COVID-19, as well as thoseinitially admitted for another reason who later test positive for the virus, say there are three people in ICU and 102 hospitalizeda nearly 28per cent increase.

At the national level, COVID deaths continue to decrease and there has been a "slight increase" in COVID-19 hospitalizations,according to the COVIDWatch report.

Case counts and outbreak incidence "continue to stabilize or decrease" across the country, however, some provinces and territories are reporting increasing case counts, the report notes.

Neighbouring Maine, meanwhile, has seen"an uptick" in case counts following a period of general decline, with a seven-day average of174 cases, up from 122 a week ago,the report says.

Person in 50s among dead,youth among new admissions

The latest New Brunswick deaths includea person in their 50s, four in their 80s and one 90 or older. COVID has now killed 621 people in the province since the beginning of the pandemic.

Thirty-two people were newly admitted to hospitalfor COVID-19 between Nov. 27 and Dec. 3, compared to 27 the previous week.

A youth aged 10 to 19 is among the new admissions, the report shows. The others include a person in their 20s, one in their 40s, one in their 50s, seven in their 60s, seven in their 70s, nine in their 80s and five who are 90 or older.

The number of people currently hospitalized for COVID-19 alsoincreased this week to 40, from 38.

More than 1,000 new cases

More than 1,000 new cases of COVID-19 have been reported this week, including606 confirmed througha PCR (polymerase chain reaction)lab test, up from596 PCR-confirmed cases.

The other 405 cases were confirmed through people self-reporting positive rapid test results.

There are now 872active cases of COVID across the province, based on PCR-confirmed cases alone, up from790.

The seven-day moving average of PCR-confirmed cases is 88, up from 85.

Dr. Yves Lger, the acting chief medical officer of health, was unavailable again Tuesday for an interview, said Department ofHealth spokesperson Adam Bowie.

Of the most recent random samples of positive test results sent for genetic sequencing, 91 per cent were the highly transmissible Omicron subvariant BA.5, seven per cent were the Omicron subvariant BA.4, and two per cent were the Omicron subvariantBA.2. The Department of Health does not provide a further breakdown of sublineages, such as the immune-evasiveBQ.1, BQ.1.1 and BA.2.75.2.

At the national level, "the previously leading BA.5 lineages are declining, while BQ.1, BQ.1.1 and BF.7 continue to demonstrate steady increases," the COVIDWatch report says.

According to the Department of Health, another 3,394 COVID-19 vaccine doses were administered in the past week, including 139 first doses, 118 second doses, 356 first booster doses, and 2,781 second booster doses.

A total of 90.8 per cent of eligible New Brunswickers have now received their first dose (up from 90.7 per cent), 85.7 per cent have received two doses (up from 85.6 per cent), 54.3 per cent have received a booster shot (unchanged), and 27.4 per cent have received their second booster (up from 26.9 per cent).

New Brunswick has had 83,425confirmed cases of COVIDso far, with 81,932 of them now considered resolved.

Horizon andVitalit data

Horizon Health Network has 81 patients in hospital either for or with COVID-19, as of Saturday, up from 64,according to itsweekly COVID dashboard. Three of them require intensive care, downfrom eight.

VitalitHealth Network has 21 COVID-19 patients hospitalized, up from 16,its dashboard shows. None are in intensive care, down from one.

Of the Horizon hospitalizations, theMoncton region, Zone 1, andFredericton region, Zone 3, are tied for the largest share of patients at 29 each, followed by the Saint John region, Zone 2, with 17, and the Miramichi region, Zone 7, with six.

Of theVitalithospitalizations,the Dr. Georges-L.-Dumont hospitalin Moncton has nine patients, the Edmundston Regional Hospital andCampbellton Regional Hospital each have four patients, and the Chaleur Regional Hospital in Bathurst has three patients.

Both regional health authorities havefewerhealth-care workers off the job after testing positive for COVID-19.

Horizon has 85 infected employees, down from92, whileVitalithas 52, down from 56.

There are11 COVID-19 outbreak units at Horizon hospitals, up fromnine.These include four in the Moncton region, three in the Saint John region and fourin the Fredericton region. No other details are provided.

Vitalit has only one outbreak attheRestigouche Hospital Centre'sforensic psychiatry unit, rehabilitation.