N.B. records 6 more COVID-19 deaths, increase in new cases after 5-week decline

COVID-19 has killed six more New Brunswickers and the number of new lab-confirmed cases of the virus has increased, following a five-week decline, weekly figures released by the provinceTuesday show.

Hospital admissions and active hospitalizations because of COVIDalso increased between Nov. 20 and Nov. 26, compared to the previous week, and include children and youths,but the number of people who require intensive care has decreased, according to the COVIDWatch report.

The number of health-care workers off the job because of COVID-19 has jumped nearly 50 per cent, to 148,the regional health authorities report.

Meanwhile, Horizon and Vitalit,which countpeople admitted to hospital because of COVID-19, as well as thoseinitially admitted for another reason who later test positive for the virus, show a decrease in hospitalizations and slight increase in ICU admissions.

They say they have 80 people hospitalized either for or with COVIDas of Saturday, down from 95 the previous week. Ten people are in intensive care, up from nine.

"At the national level, there are continued decreases or stabilization of cases and outbreak incidence," the province's report says.

There has also been a decrease in COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths at the national level, it says.

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

Breakdown of deaths, cases, hospitalizations

The latest deaths include a person in their70s and five people in their 80s. The province's pandemic death toll has now reached 615.

A total of 596 cases of COVID-19 were confirmed through a PCR[polymerase chain reaction] lab test, up from 436 a nearly 37 per cent increase.

There are 790 active cases of COVID across the province, based on PCR-confirmed cases alone, up from636.

Another 371 New Brunswickers also self-reported testing positive on a rapid test, up from 303.

Of the most recent random samples of positive test results sent for genetic sequencing, 92 per cent were the highly transmissible Omicron subvariant BA.5, sixper 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.

Twenty-seven people were newly admitted to hospital for COVID, compared to 24 last week.

Among the new admissions are two children under 10 and a youth aged 10 to 19.

The other admissions include two people in their 20s, one in their 40s, one in their 50s, four in their 60s, six in their 70s, seven in their 80s, and three 90 or older.

The number of people currently hospitalized because of COVID has also increased to 38, from32 a week ago.

COVID-19 vaccination rates for firstand second doses remain unchanged from last week, at 90.7 per cent and85.6 per cent of eligible New Brunswickers,respectively.

The third dose, or first booster, rate increased slightly to54.3 per cent from 54.2 percent, and the fourth dose, or second booster rate, has increased to26.9 per cent from26.3 per cent after3,430 more doses were administered.

New Brunswick has had 82,819 confirmed cases of COVID since the beginning of the pandemic and81,414 are considered resolved so far.

Horizon andVitalit data

Horizon has 64 active COVID-19 patients in hospital,down from 72 ,according to itsweekly COVID dashboard. Eight of them require intensive care, up from five.

The Saint John region, Zone 2, has the largest share, at 26, followed by 14 in the Moncton region, Zone 1, 13 in the Fredericton region, Zone 3,and 11 in the Miramichi region, Zone 7.

Vitalithas 16 COVID-19 patients hospitalized, down from 23,its dashboard shows. One is in intensive care, down from four.

The Edmundston Regional Hospital has six patients, the Dr. Georges-L.-Dumont hospitalin Moncton has four patients,including one in intensive care, the Campbellton Regional Hospital has five patients,and the Tracadie Hospital has one patient.

Horizon has 92 health-care workers off after testing positive for COVID-19, up from 68 last week and 48 the week before.

Vitalithas 56 sick health-care employees, up from 31.

There are nineCOVID-19 outbreak units at Horizon hospitals, down from 14.These include two in the Moncton region, two in the Saint John region, threein the Fredericton region and two in the Miramichi region. No other details are provided.

Vitalithas twooutbreak units, including a new one at theRestigouche Hospital Centre'sforensic psychiatry unit, rehabilitation, and one at the Edmundston Regional Hospitalon theextended care unit.