New Measures As N.B. Reports First Omicron Cases

New Brunswick announced new measures Monday to slow the spread of COVID-19 as the province reported its first confirmed cases of the Omicron variant.

The province’s chief medical health officer said three cases of the variant have been confirmed, two in the Miramichi health region and one in the Moncton health zone.

Dr. Jennifer Russell said four other cases are directly linked to the first three cases and are presumed to be the Omicron variant.

“We fully expect to see more [cases],” Russell said, adding that the arrival of the variant in New Brunswick is “not unexpected.”

The cases are linked to a recent outbreak of COVID-19 impacting St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, N.S., said Russell.

She said her team is working closely with their counterparts in Nova Scotia to slow the further spread of the variant.

Premier Blaine Higgs announced several “interim” measures on Monday which he said are designed to do just that.

• Students in kindergarten through Grade 6 will begin their holiday break a week early. Their last day of classes will be on Friday, Dec. 17.
• Sports and all other organized activities for children under 12 will be suspended as of 11:59 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 13.
• Sporting competitions and games will also be suspended for those 12 and over as of 11:59 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 13, but practices and skills drills will be allowed as long as they only involve one team at a time and an operational plan is in place that includes “reasonable efforts” to ensure distancing and sanitization.

Several other measures, many involving businesses, will take effect at 11:5 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 17.

• People must limit their household contacts to a maximum of a Steady 20.
• Entertainment centres, including movie theatres, professional sporting events, casinos, etc., will operate at 50 per cent capacity with two-metre physical distancing.
• Restaurant dine-in will continue but two-metre physical distancing between tables will be required and proof of vaccination will continue to be mandatory.
• Distancing must be maintained at all times in businesses, retail establishments, gyms, salons and spas.
• Businesses and organizations must take steps to ensure that they do not admit more people than can be safely allowed to maintain two-metre physical distancing.

Higgs warned that further restrictions may be required depending on how the situation changes in the days and weeks ahead.

“The holiday season is here, and with more people gathering and socializing, it is vital that we work together to slow the spread of COVID-19 in our province,” he said.

Russell said the Omicron variant of COVID-19 is “much more transmissible” than previous versions — at least 30 per cent more so than the Delta variant — and will soon become the dominant variant.

But what scientists and health officials do not yet fully understand, she said, is how severe the Omicron virus might be compared to other variants.

“We know that a rapid rise in cases of COVID-19, particularly among those with other health issues or who are older and unvaccinated, will result in greater numbers of severe illness that will further strain our healthcare system,” said Russell.

Russell said health officials expect the sheer volume of Omicron cases in Canada to be “quite large” as cases of this strain double about every two days, which could lead to more hospitalizations.

“Given the growing number of cases among young children in our province, it is vital that every parent ensures that their children between five and 11 years of age get their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine,” she said.

The province’s top doctor also urged people who are eligible to get their booster shot, which provides “another layer of protection,” she said. Currently, everyone 50 and older are eligible, along with several other groups of individuals.

As of Monday, 88.6 per cent of eligible residents are fully vaccinated, 82.3 per cent have received their first dose, and 9.2 per cent have received a booster shot.

100 new cases, 2 more deaths

Public Health reported 100 new cases of COVID-19 and two additional deaths on Monday, along with 69 more recoveries.

The deaths included a person in their 60s in the Moncton health region and a person in their 70s in the Miramichi region.

There were 52 new cases in the Fredericton health region, 14 in the Saint John area, 12 in the Moncton zone, 11 in the Miramichi health region, seven in the Edmundston area, three in the Bathurst zone, and one in the Campbellton health region.

New Brunswick now has 1,048 active cases across the province and 41 people in the hospital with COVID-19, including 14 in an intensive care unit.

The active cases include 464 in the Fredericton health region, 211 in the Saint John area, 182 in the Moncton zone, 111 in the Miramichi health region, 45 in the Edmundston area, 19 in the Bathurst zone, and 16 in the Campbellton health region.

“Right now, we need to ensure we do everything in our power to protect our healthcare system and the staff working at our hospitals. We know that our healthcare system is fragile,” said Health Minister Dorothy Shephard.

The rate of new cases is 8.4 per 100,000 for the fully vaccinated, 14.9 per 100,000 for the partially vaccinated, and 36 per 100,000 for the unvaccinated.

Of those currently in hospital, the rate is 2.6 per 100,000 for the fully vaccinated, 4.3 per 100,000 for the partially vaccinated, and 19.7 per 100,000 for the unvaccinated.

Among those in the ICU, the rates are 0.6 per 100,000 for the fully vaccinated, 0 per 100,000 for the partially vaccinated, and 8.6 per 100,000 for the unvaccinated.

Shephard said while the current number of hospitalizations is manageable, the province needs to be vigilant so the situation remains under control.

If the number of hospitalizations and ICU admissions does rise significantly, the health minister said it will have an impact on all New Brunswickers.

“Some of our hospitals have already the experience of being forced to cut back temporarily on some regular services. This is something we want to avoid as much as possible so people can continue to have appointments and routine surgeries and treatments,” said Shephard.

She said the fourth wave of the pandemic has been “extremely demanding” on healthcare workers, along with contact tracers and other public health employees.

Shephard reminded New Brunswickers to continue wearing masks, keep their contacts low, assess their personal risk before going out, and try to keep track of where they are going.

Cases in schools

Updated figures released Monday morning show 42 new cases of COVID-19 had been confirmed in 28 schools since Friday.

That includes eight schools in the Moncton health region, three in the Saint John zone, and seven in the Fredericton area. You can find a list of those schools online.

A total of 708 cases had been confirmed across 170 schools since the beginning of the school year.

Five early learning and child care facilities each reported a case of COVID-19 since Friday. They are spread out across the Moncton, Saint John and Fredericton health regions.