Hospital-based COVID cases also continue to rise, as does the number of health care workers leaving their jobs because of the virus, the province’s COVIDWatch report shows. The latest deaths include three people in their 70s and two in their 80s. Their deaths bring the death toll from the pandemic to 438. Thirty people were recently hospitalized with the virus between July 10 and July 16, up from 15 the previous week. The number of people currently hospitalized with the virus also rose last week to 22, up from 17, including one in intensive care, according to the province. Health networks Horizon and Vitalité, meanwhile, said they had 114 hospitalized patients with COVID as of Saturday, four of whom require intensive care, up from 95 and seven respectively a week earlier. A total of 1,004 new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed through PCR tests between July 10 and July 16, up from 1,044 the previous week, according to Tuesday’s COVIDWatch report. (Government of New Brunswick) This includes patients admitted for COVID as well as those who were initially admitted for another reason and later tested positive for the virus. “I think overall, the picture we get from this week’s report is again, it continues to suggest that we are in a period of increased activity across the province,” said Dr. Yves Léger, who is the acting Chief Medical Officer of Health. for two weeks. Last Tuesday, Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Jennifer Russell said there were indications that New Brunswick was at the beginning of a period of “increased activity” of COVID-19, driven by the highly contagious Omicron BA.5 and BA.4 subvariants. but stopped short of calling it a new wave of the pandemic.
The mask urged
The fact that the increases are happening now instead of in the fall, as previously predicted, points to the fact that it is difficult to predict, Léger said. “I think as a province it’s important for New Brunswickers to understand that this is what we’re going to have to deal with. And it’s important that we pay attention to what’s going on so they can take the appropriate steps to keep themselves safe.” That includes wearing a mask in indoor public spaces, he said. “Absolutely… Even though we’re not talking about orders, it doesn’t change the fact that these are still important measures that we know are working to protect New Brunswickers, especially during this time.” Masks have not been required in New Brunswick since the mandatory order was lifted on March 14, but acting Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Yves Léger urges people to cover up indoors in public spaces, given increased COVID activity. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press) Among his latest actions as President and CEO of Horizon, Dr. John Dornan encouraged staff in a memo last Thursday to “consider setting an example” by covering indoor public spaces, citing the “escalating” rate of transmission of COVID-19 in community and healthcare settings. He was fired the next day in a major shakeup of healthcare leadership, Léger said he sees “very few” people wearing masks when he goes to the grocery store or the mall. “I know we’re all tired of COVID and we want to get back to normal, you know, lifestyle and socializing. But we have to remember that COVID doesn’t end with us.” It also advises people to keep social contact low, socialize outdoors, physically distance themselves and stay home if they are sick. “When there’s an increase in COVID activity, it’s really the most important time to really try to follow these measures as much as we can.”
Fewer new cases, but increase in active cases
The number of new reported cases of COVID-19 fell slightly last week, to 2,324 from 2,465. This includes 1,004 cases confirmed by laboratory PCR testing (down from 1,044), bringing the provincewide incidence rate to about 126 cases per 100,000 people. Just 5,900 PCR tests were performed, which brings the positivity rate to 17%. The other 1,320 new cases were self-reported by people who tested positive for a rapid test (down from 1,421). There are now 1,506 active cases across the province, based on PCR cases alone, up from 1,382 a week ago. Omicron BA.5 and BA.4 together account for more than three-quarters of the most recent random samples sent for sequencing, accounting for 57 percent and 22 percent respectively. The other 21 percent of samples were Omicron BA.2. The highest rate of hospitalizations for COVID-19 is among people aged 70-89, the report says. “Vaccine-unprotected people continue to have the highest rate of COVID-19 hospitalization and death.”
Vaccination stopped
Last Tuesday, the province announced it was extending eligibility for a fourth dose to all New Brunswickers aged 18 and over, provided it has been at least five months since their last dose. The decision to reduce eligibility for the fourth tranche from 50 was based on the increasing risk, officials said. But so far, only 23 percent of New Brunswickers age 50 and older have gotten their second souvenir, down from 21.7 percent a week ago, Léger said. “So far on our dashboard, we don’t see a lot of people [under 50] However,” he said. “So I’m not sure if the numbers aren’t being recorded there, if they’re low enough that they haven’t been recorded yet. But certainly, you know, I think the numbers are probably not very high at this point.” Only 864 first, second and third doses combined were delivered this week, too few to change the 93.3% first dose rate. A total of 88.3 percent of eligible New Brunswickers received the second shot, up from 88.2 percent, and 53 percent received three shots, up from 52.9 percent. Dr Yves Léger, who has been the acting chief medical officer for two weeks, said people should not put off getting the next COVID-19 vaccine until the autumn because there are still “a lot of unknowns” about with what the coming months will bring. . (Pascal Raiche-Nogue/Radio-Canada) Asked if some people might put off the next shot in anticipation of a larger increase in the fall because they fear they will weaken their immunity if they get too early, Léger said, “certainly that’s a concern for some people.” However, he reiterated that it is difficult to predict exactly when increases will occur and noted that new vaccines are in the works, including bivalent vaccines, which are expected to target Omicron. “So there’s a lot of unknowns about what the fall and winter will bring. But we certainly know that right now we’re in a period of increased activity. And so, you know, the best vaccine is the one that’s available if I’m due for a shot. “ Vaccines help protect people from infection, but “where they really shine,” he said, is in providing protection against serious outcomes, including hospitalization, ICU admission or death. New Brunswick has had 70,541 confirmed cases of COVID since the start of the pandemic, with 68,597 cases considered resolved so far.
Hospitalization, outbreaks, sick workers
Horizon has 84 active COVID-19 admissions as of Saturday, up from 78, including two in intensive care, up from six, according to the COVID-19 dashboard. The breakdown of cases includes:
Moncton Area, Zone 1 — .28 St. John’s Area, Zone 2 — .36 Fredericton Area, Zone 3 — 10 Miramichi Region, Zone 7 — 10
The dashboard does not provide details about which hospitals have patients. Vitalité has 30 COVID-19 patients hospitalized as of Saturday, up from 17, including two in intensive care, up from one, according to the COVID-19 dashboard. The University Hospital Dr. Georges-L.-Dumont in Moncton, Zone 1, has six patients, including two in the ICU, Edmundston Regional Hospital, in Zone 4, has five patients, Campbellton Regional Hospital in Zone 5, has seven patients and in Bathurst, Zone 5, Chaleur Regional Hospital has one patient, while Tracadie Hospital has 11 patients, the dashboard shows. There are now cases of COVID-19 in 22 hospital units across the province, up from 19. Seventeen of them are in Horizon hospitals. Distribution includes:
Moncton Area, Zone 1 — Six St. John’s Area, Zone 2 — Seven Fredericton Area, Zone 3 — Two Miramichi District, Zone 7 — .Two
No details about the location of the hot spots are available on the control panel. Vitalité has five cooking units. They include: a new outbreak in the general surgery unit 4A of the University Hospital Center Dr. Georges-L.-Dumont, as well as in the medical unit and the 2nd northern unit of Tracadie Hospital. Campbellton Regional Hospital Geriatric Unit and Restigouche Hospital Center C-1 Continuous Rehabilitation Unit. The number of healthcare workers quitting their jobs after either testing positive for COVID-19 or coming into contact with a positive case continues to rise and now stands at 229, compared to 204 a week ago. Horizon employs 88 of them, up from 83 in the previous report. No analysis provided. The remaining 141 work for Vitalité, out of 121. No Horizon hospitals are currently listed with excess capacity, according to figures provided by spokesman Chris McDavid. This includes Dr. Regional Hospital. Everett Chalmers in Fredericton, where a patient died in the emergency department waiting room early last Tuesday morning while waiting for care. His bed occupancy is 98 percent, McDavid said in an email. A Horizon review is underway after a patient — an elderly man in a wheelchair who was visibly in distress, according to a witness — died in the emergency department waiting room at Dr. Everett Chalmers. The results will be made public, Prime Minister Blaine Higgs said. (Joe McDonald/CBC) THE…
