Four New Presumptive Cases Of COVID-19 In N.B.

New Brunswick has four new presumptive cases of COVID-19.

The four new cases are close contacts to an earlier confirmed travel-related case.

Dr. Jennifer Russell, chief medical officer of health, says they involve three men and a woman ranging in age from 20 to 60.

“I know this can be very disconcerting and very stressful to hear, but I am not surprised by this. I expect that there will be more travel-related cases,” Russell said during a news conference Sunday.

Premier Higgs: “If you do not have symptoms, do not tie up our health symptoms.”

— Tamara Steele (@tamarasteele1) March 15, 2020

Premier Blaine Higgs discouraged people from calling Tele-Care 811 unless they have symptoms because the service is getting four times the normal volume of calls.

“We need people to slow down and think about how they impact others if they are tying up an emergency service. We would normally have 250 calls a day, we are experiencing 800 to 1,000,” Higgs said.

Higgs said the overburdening of 811 could slow down response.

“That is going to be the single biggest risk to us being able to get to people in a timely matter and isolating them from infecting someone else,” he said.

After speaking with Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, the premier said there are no plans yet to close the border.

Higgs also said stockpiling groceries and toilet paper is not necessary.

The premier urged New Brunswickers to be part of the solution and not the problem.

“This is another time where we need to come together and help each other,” said Higgs.