N.B. COVID-19 roundup: 4 more deaths, record-high 123 hospitalizations

Four more New Brunswickerswho had COVID-19 have died, marking 22 deaths in seven days,and COVID hospitalizations have jumped to a record high of 123, including four people 19 or under.

Although the deaths are all reported as COVID-related, the peopledidn't all necessarily die from the virus, according to a Department of Health spokesperson.

The province has changed the way it reports deaths, "due to increasing caseloads" and its"desire to be transparent," Bruce Macfarlane told CBC News.

"Public Health does not have enough time to determine whether cause of death is COVID-19 related prior to announcing the death publicly," he said in an emailed statement.

As a result, when a person with COVID-19 dies, they will be counted as a COVID-19 death, "unless there is a clear alternative cause of death, such as a car accident."

Macfarlane did not say when the new way of reporting deaths began, but on Monday Public Health changed the wording in its daily news releases to say, "people who had COVID-19 have died."

Until then,Public Health had been reporting that people died "as a result of COVID-19."

Macfarlane did not respond to questions about whose decision it was to group the deaths together,or whether they willeach eventually be followed up on.

Eleven people arein intensive care, six of them are on ventilators.

A total of 342 health-care workers who have tested positive are off, isolating.

Dr. Jennifer Russell, chief medical officer, continues to urge those eligible to get their COVID-19 vaccines and booster dose.

That includes children,aged five to 11,who will soon be eligible to receive their second dose, once eight weeks have passed since their first dose.

"I want to remind parents that it is important for children to complete their full vaccine schedule so they have the best possible protection against COVID-19 and the highly transmissible Omicron variant," she said in a statement.

To date, 52.6 per cent of children in this age group have received their first dose, leaving about 25,000 children who have not.

"Ensuring as many children as possible are vaccinated is the best path forward to get kids back to in-person school and make it possible for them to participate in sports and activities," Russell said.

As of Wednesday, 57per cent of New Brunswickers 50 and over have received a booster, and the number increases to 68 per cent among those 60 and over.

"As the Omicron variant continues to spread, we all need to take steps to protect ourselves," Russell said. "That includes getting a booster as soon as you are eligible.

"We know that people who are fully vaccinated and have a booster dose have better protection from serious illness or hospitalization from COVID-19."

Of those in ICU, 55 per centare either unvaccinated, partially vaccinated, or it has been more than six months since their second dose, Public Health said.

As of Wednesday, 33.7 per centofeligible New Brunswickers havereceived a booster dose, up from 32.7 per cent, 83.5 per centhave received two doses, up from83.4 per cent,and 91.3 per cent havereceived one dose, unchanged.

Breakdown of cases

The four COVID-related deaths reported Wednesday include a person 70 to 79 years old in the Moncton region,Zone 1,a person 60 to 69 in the Fredericton region, Zone 3, and two people in the Edmundston region, Zone 4 one 70 to 79 and the other 90 or over.

Their deaths raise the COVID-related pandemic death toll to 196, the dashboard shows.

The number of people hospitalized with the virus increased by 10 from Tuesday, while the number of people in intensive care decreased by four.

The seven-day average for hospitalizations is 112, up from 107.9,while the seven-day average for ICU admissions is 12.6, up from 12.4, according to the dashboard.

Sixty-seven of the people hospitalized with COVID were admitted for other reasons when they tested positive.

Of those hospitalized, 98 are 60 or older.

There were 498new COVID casesconfirmed throughPCR (polymerase chain reaction) testing, putting the active caseload at 4,296. That figure doesn't include people testing positive on rapid tests.

An additional 805 people tested positive on rapid tests and registered their results online.

The regional breakdown of the PCR-confirmed cases reported includes:

• Moncton region, Zone 1 229 cases
• Saint John region, Zone 2 73cases
• Fredericton region, Zone 3 56cases
• Edmundston region Zone 4 40cases
• Campbellton region, Zone 5 26cases
• Bathurst region, Zone 6 44 cases
• Miramichi region, Zone 7 30cases

A total of 662,339 PCR tests have been conducted to date, including 3,134on Tuesday. That's a positivity rate of 15.9 per cent.

New Brunswick has had24,001 PCR-confirmed cases of COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic, with19,507 recoveries so far.

Province 'very committed' to timeline to end Level 3, Higgs says

The New Brunswick government is "very committed" to itstimeline ofreturning to Level 2 of the COVID-19 winter planno later than Jan.30 at 11:59 p.m., says Premier Blaine Higgs.

And it'sasking New Brunswickers to "do everything they can"to make that happen,Higgs said in an emailed statement Tuesday.

He did not say whether the 16-daylockdown could be extended, based on Public Health's advice.

The province moved to Level 3, the most restrictive level of theCOVID plan,last Friday at 11:59 p.m., to slow the spread of the Omicron variant and allow time for more people to get vaccinated or boosted against the virus.

Higgs announced the move the previous day, citing what was then a record-high 104 COVID hospitalizations and a hospital systemin "crisis."

"We made a decision to follow Public Health's advice and move to Level 3 of the winter plan in order to mitigate the risks currently facing the provincial health-care system," Higgs said in the statement, noting thedecisionfollowed consultations with cabinetand the COVIDcabinet committee.

"Our projections showed that if every citizen reduced their contacts by 30 per cent, New Brunswick could lower the forecasted peak of hospitalizations from 220 to about 150 by early February," he said.

"We are very committed to our timeline and returning to level two no later than January 30 at 11:59 PM and we are asking all New Brunswickers to do everything they can over these next [11] days to help us reach that goal."

As of Wednesday, 123 people are hospitalizedwith the virus, including 11 in intensive care. Six of them are on ventilators.

Under Level 3:

• Social gatherings arelimited to single household bubbles.
• No public gatherings arepermitted.
• Restaurants are limited to drive-thru, takeout and deliveries only.
• Non-essential retail remains at Level 2 restrictions, which include operating at50 per cent capacity and with physical distancing measures in place.
• Gyms, salons, spas and entertainment centres areclosed.
• Faith services areallowed only outdoors, virtually, or in-car.
• Organized team sports are prohibited from games, competition and practice with people outside of a household bubble.

In addition, at-home learning for public school students continues until Jan. 31.

1st shipment of Pfizer pill 'like spitting on a house fire,' says Shephard

New Brunswick is scheduled to receive its first shipment of Pfizer'snew COVID-19 pillby this weekend, but at this point, Paxlovid is just another "tool in our toolbox" in the pandemic fight, says Health Minister Dorothy Shephard.

The antiviral treatment, approved Monday by Health Canada,is designedto treat adults with mild to moderate COVID-19 who are at high risk of progressing to serious disease, including hospitalization or death.

It has been hailed by some doctors as a pandemic "game changer" that couldrelieve some of the pressure on the health-care system.

Shephardsaid New Brunswick has been allocated 700 treatment courses, which will be used for people 80 years or older and people who areimmunocompromised "for the most part."

It's "a really good start," she told CBC's Power & Politics.

"But with the number of cases that are escalating, it's kind of like spitting on a house fire."

The province is "going to have to be prudent" about how it uses Paxlovid, said Shephard.

"We know with the small amounts that we're getting, and as the federal government ramps up their supply, which will take some time, this is a tool in our toolbox," she said.

"And the very best course of protection against COVID and variants is vaccinations, and we want to encourage everyone to continue to get their boosters."

New Brunswick issues call for volunteers to help with COVID-19 response

3 years ago

Duration 9:23

New Brunswick Health Minister Dorothy Shephard joins Power & Politics to discuss the province's call for paid and unpaid volunteers, as well as how it plans to use Pfizer's antiviral drug Paxlovid, which received approval from Health Canada Monday.

Federal Health Minister Jean-Yves Ducloshas said 30,000 treatment courseshave already arrived in Canada andwill be distributed to the provinces and territories on a per-capita basis.

Another 120,000 treatments will arrive between now and the end of March. Thefederal government is working with Pfizer to bring "additional treatment courses to Canada as quickly as possible," Duclos said.

New Brunswick will receive "larger quantities later this year," Department of Health spokesperson Bruce Macfarlane has said, without elaborating.

The province's supply ofPaxlovidis expected to be "very limited" duringthe winter months, he said in an emailed statement Wednesday.

Because of this, itwill "only be provided to individuals who are among the Public Health priority groups for the time being."

Macfarlane did not immediately respond to a request for comment about exactly when and where the first shipment will arrive and where the drug will be available.

Other details, such as who will prescribe the pills, have not yet been released.

Paxlovid is intended for use as soon as possible after diagnosis of COVID-19 and within five days of the start of symptoms, Health Canada said in a release Monday.

The treatment consists of two tablets of nirmatrelvir and one tablet of ritonavir taken together by mouth twice per day for five days, it said.

Pfizerreportedin November that Paxlovid reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by 89 per cent compared to a placebo in non-hospitalized high-risk adults with COVID-19.

"The introduction of the antiviral is good news, but it is not going to make Omicron go away," said Macfarlane.

"The best defence against Omicron is vaccination,and we urge everyone to ensure they get their booster dose as soon as possible."

1,600 volunteers step up

In less than 24 hours, more than 1,600 New Brunswickers have responded to the government's"urgent" callfor volunteers to help with the pandemic response.

"We are encouraged to see so many New Brunswickers step up and answer our call in one day," Health Minister Dorothy Shephard said in a statement Wednesday.

"Please pass along the word to neighbours, family members and friends to see if they can also give us a helping hand in this fight against the Omicron variant."

Denise Miller of the Kingston Peninsula is among those who signed up on Tuesday.

She doesn't have a medical background but says she's following the motto: If you can, do.

"If everybody would step up a little bit, even if they're not, you know, like in non-clinical roles, there's lots we can do," she said. "We can meet people at the door, we can make sure they have masks, it's communicating, you know, helping at the clinics. Just taking some of the weight off the people that have been carrying it all.

"I mean, we just sit here and we watch and we doom-scroll and we complain. Why not do something?"

The province is looking for clinical help with administering vaccinations and COVID-19 testing, patient services and personal support work.

It's also seekingnon-clinical help, such asclerical support, office administration, logistical support, data entry, customer service, and food preparation and delivery.

Training, including health and safety measuresand the use of personal protective equipment (PPE),will be provided.

The volunteer positions are both paid and unpaid, depending on the work and the skill set, Health Minister Dorothy Shephard has said.

Miller, who works full time, says she offered to help in the evenings or whenever she can because "the situation's dire."

She has several friends who work in health care and they're "burnt out."

She doesn't expect to be paid,she said, and has experience incommunications andevent management.

"I can cook, I can clean whatever they need."

People who are double vaccinated and boosted and interested in volunteering are asked tocomplete a new online form, posted Tuesday.

Department of Health spokesperson Bruce Macfarlanedescribed the number of people who have already signed up as "incredible."

"This is truly a reflection of New Brunswickers' willingness to help out in a crisis,to help their neighbours, their friends and families, and the population overall," he said.

Government officials, in partnership with the regional health authorities, will contact the people who have registered, he said. Priority will be given to people who can fill areas of highest need.

Vitalit also now offers KN95 masks

The Vitalit Health Network, like the Horizon Health Network, has started offering KN95 masksto members of the public who wish to receive one upon entry, spokesperson Thomas Lizotte confirmed Wednesday.

But unlike Horizon,Vitalitwon't let people who wear their ownN95 or KN95 mask leave them on.

"Patients and designated support persons who come to the network facilities will now have to choose between a medical mask or a KN95 mask," Lizotte said in an emailed statement. This also applies to all visitors, according to Vitalit'supdated website.

"They will have to remove their mask and wear one provided by the network," he said.

Hand hygiene must be performed after taking off their mask/face covering,before putting on the medical/KN95 mask, and again after, the website states.

"The implementation of this new measure begins today and should be completed across the Network in the next coming days," Lizotte said.

The changes comeas the COVID-19 Omicron variant continues to tear across New Brunswick, with record-high hospitalizations and new cases, including hundreds of health-care workers.

N95 and KN95 masks are respirators and considered the highest level of mask protection. They filter out more particles and provide a better fit, with fewer gapsfortiny airborne particles, or aerosol,to get through.

Horizon confirmed to CBC Tuesday its hospitals will now provideKN95 masksto members of the public who wish to receive one upon entry, andif peoplewear their own N95 or KN95 mask, they won't be required to change it.

Until now, Horizon has required people to remove whatever mask they were wearing and replace it with a hospital-issued non-medicalmask.

Vitalit"continues its efforts to improve the quality and safety of service to patients," said Lizotte.