Dr. Russell updates New Brunswick's COVID-19 situation Nov. 21. (Screen grab via GNB on YouTube)
Public Health reported 23 new cases of COVID-19 at a news conference on Saturday.
The number is a single-day high for the province since the pandemic was announced in March.
Dr. Jennifer Russell, the province’s chief medical officer of health, recalled the early days of the pandemic when New Brunswickers managed to stay home and keep case numbers low despite accelerated curves across the rest of North America.
“Everyone needs to reduce their close contacts to the lowest number possible,” Dr. Russell said.
“I can assure you that the people who are transmitting COVID are not aware they’re transmitting COVID. I can assure you that the people who are being infected are not aware they’re being infected. It is a very, very subtle, discouraging type of transmission because it is silent.”
Sixteen of the new cases reported Saturday were discovered in the Saint John region, which moved to the orange phase of pandemic recovery on Friday. Six cases were discovered in the Moncton zone, which is also in the orange phase.
One other case was announced in the Fredericton region.
Despite the Saint John (Zone 2) and Moncton (Zone 1) regions moving to the orange phase of provincial recovery last week, further stage changes could be made quickly.
“To bring them back into the yellow phase, and keep the rest of the province at that level we need a renewed commitment to slowing the spread of COVID-19, and we need it now,” Russell said.
Dr. Russell noted that record numbers of cases are being discovered not just across Canada, but globally.
“This is a world-wide issue that New Brunswick is not immune to,” she said.
There are now 71 active cases in the province.
Public Health declared an outbreak Friday at Shannex Tucker Hall, an adult residential facility in the Millidgeville area of Saint John, with one identified case of COVID-19.
Dr. Russell said all staff and residents at the facility are currently being tested, with three more positive cases discovered since Friday.
Public Health also announced Saturday a positive case in a traveller who may have been infectious on two Air Canada flights on Nov. 7.
They include flight 0992 from Mexico City to Toronto, which arrived at 7:20 p.m., and flight 8918 from Toronto to Moncton, which arrived at 11:43 p.m.
She urged New Brunswickers to patient and vigilant. The last outbreak in the Campbellton area took four weeks to get under control and the last one in the Moncton region took several weeks.
