New Brunswickers Coping Well ‘Overall’, Says Russell

New Brunswick has done well overall in terms of having low case numbers and a low number of deaths.

In a year-end interview, Dr. Jennifer Russell, chief medical officer of health, was asked how we have been coping with the pandemic.

Russell said they have tried to minimize the impacts of COVID-19 on society and the economy.

“People who were not doing well before the pandemic certainly are probably doing worse at this point in time from a social determinants of health perspective. Whether it’s mental health, housing, substance use, education etc. People who may have been doing well prior to the pandemic, could be doing worse,” Russell said.

Russell said the individual outbreaks are challenging but things are happening in between those events.

In a year-end interview, Dr. Jennifer Russell says "overall" New Brunswickers have coped well with the pandemic thanks to low numbers of cases and deaths. She thinks people who weren't doing well before the pandemic may be in worse shape now as it relates to mental health etc. pic.twitter.com/0Ux7l4ls49

— Tamara Steele (@tamarasteele1) December 29, 2020

She noted the “never-ending pressure” of knowing we are in a global pandemic.

“We have many months to go until everyone is vaccinated. There are a lot of uncertainties. I think dealing with those uncertainties on a regular basis between outbreaks is a challenge,” Dr. Russell said.

Dr. Russell said provincial media briefings are intended to keep New Brunswickers informed and they have changed a bit from the first wave.

Dr. Jennifer Russell said now it’s about specific messaging they want to get out.

“When we have information about cases or significant changes in terms of going from a yellow zone to an orange zone and back again or any changes in the policies around anything in the mandatory order,” Russell said.

Russell adds they also incorporate new information coming in from Ottawa based on several weekly meetings with the Public Health Agency of Canada and her counterparts across the country.