Dr. Jennifer Russell (courtesy GNB/YouTube)
The chief medical officer of health says the Moncton area (Zone 1) will remain at the ‘red’ level of New Brunswick’s pandemic recovery and the Edmundston region (Zone 4) will remain under lockdown until at least early next week.
Russell said while the numbers seem to be trending in the right direction, more progress still needs to happen before restrictions can be lifted.
“In the days ahead we’ll be watching for signs that the outbreaks in these areas can be contained with fewer restrictions on public movement and I hope to be in front of you on Monday with that good news,” Dr. Jennifer Russell said Thursday.
Moncton has been in “red” level since January 19, and Edmundston has been in lockdown since January 23.
“We’re continually re-evaluating conditions in these zones and we’re firmly fixed in the objective of getting these communities out of these restrictions.”
Minister of Health Dorothy Shephard said moving any region to yellow is “not an option at this time.”
“For now, our goal is to move the entire province to the ‘orange’ alert level as soon as possible,” she said. “That way more businesses will be able to open and we can enjoy time with our steady 10 while still taking precautions to slow the spread.”
Shephard addressed the hardships that travel restrictions have had on workers, including rotational workers. She said she understands that it feels unfair and that it’s been difficult.
“But Covid doesn’t have a sense of fairness,” she said. “The problem is not on rotational workers. The problem is that all travelers are susceptible to the virus.”
Public Health reported 16 new cases of Covid-19, with five cases in Zone 1, nine cases in Zone 4, and one case each in Zones 3 (Fredericton) and 6 (Bathurst).
The province now has 256 active cases with five people in the hospital, two of which are in the ICU.
Russell said after four rounds of mass testing at the Parkland Saint John seniors facility, no further cases have been found. Another round is set for Monday.
Tests done at Le Pavillon Le Royer in Edmundston have all come back negative so far.
Mass testing is also taking place at Manoir Belle Vue, an adult residential facility in Edmundston. Ten of the residents there that were in self-isolation have been released.
Mass tests have also been done at Villa Des-Jardins, which includes an adult residential facility and independent living apartments in Edmundston.
Shephard thanked healthcare workers in Zone 4 and around the province who have been providing services in affected long-term care facilities and special care homes. She also thanked civil servants who have volunteered to be redeployed to Edmundston to help with tasks like meal delivery, and culinary students from Collège Communautaire du Nouveau-Brunswick (CCNB) who have been providing meals for residents at Manoir Belle Vue since early this week.
Russell and Shephard again asked New Brunswickers to get tested even if their symptoms are very mild, especially with the more transmissible U.K. variant now present in the province. They’re concerned that rapid growth in the number of cases would overwhelm hospitals and result in more deaths. About five percent of those infected with Covid-19 require ICU admission, said Russell.
“Don’t minimize your symptoms,” Russell said.
“[Symptoms] can be become more severe for sure, but when people with mild symptoms don’t get tested, that’s when outbreaks can happen, and they transmit very quickly.”
“Catching Covid-19 is not your fault,” she added. “It is nobody’s fault. Covid-19 exists. It’s a virus that has caused a global pandemic that affects millions and millions of people. No one should be ashamed of catching it.”
Russell also noted that not one case of influenza has been detected in the province this season. Normally, 300-to-500 hospitalizations happen per flu season, but there’s been none this time, she said.
Shephard said this is why it’s so important to get tested if flu or cold symptoms show up.
“If you think you have the flu, it’s more likely this year that you have Covid-19,” she said.
Both Russell and Shephard urged New Brunswickers not to gather to watch the Super Bowl this weekend.
Inda Intiar is a reporter for Huddle, an Acadia Broadcasting content partner.
