N.B. COVID-19 roundup: Premier Higgs looks at federal wage boost for essential workers
Province confirms 1 new case of COVID-19, bringing the total number of cases up to 117
Latest
- Premier Higgs looks at wage boost for essential workers
- 117 cases of COVID-19
- Legislative assembly to reconvene Friday
- Moncton doctor says it's still safe to visit emergency rooms for urgent health concerns
- Dairy farmers forced to dump tractor trailers of milk
- Province has 'plenty of test kits'
- Fredericton postpones 2 construction projects
- Communities struggle to establish emergency child-care facilities
- Biotech company to provide 500,000 tests to Canadians
- Printing company begins mass-producing face shields
- Some workers are forced to work in close proximity
- What to do if you have symptoms
Premier Blaine Higgs is looking into a federal offer of a wage boost for essential workers who make less than $2,500 a month, including those working in long-term care homes for the elderly.
He told reporters at his regular briefing Wednesday that he lacked details about how the proposal would work or whether New Brunswick employees would qualify.
In New Brunswick nursing homes, he said, full-time employees earn "much more" than $2,500 a month.
"We are aware that some provinces, due to inequities between private and public nursing home workers, have decided to implement this measure."
According to the New Brunswick Council of Nursing Home Unions, employees take home an average of $1,000 every two weeks after taxes and other deductions.
Higgs said New Brunswick's front-line workers deserve all the support they can get. He will be speaking this week with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and with other premiers about the wage proposal.
"We need more details on this program before making any decisions," Higgs said. "However, I am most interested in any federal funding that could be available to these essential workers."
In a news release, Gilles LePage, the Official Opposition critic for seniors, said the premier should accept the federal money to help front-line workers increase their wages.
"We should appreciate and value their service. The federal government has provided us the means to do so during this
critical time," LePage said.
"The province should recognize this and accept the federal monies to provide additional support for these valuable workers.
117 cases of COVID-19
The province has confirmed one new case of COVID-19, bringing the total number of cases in New Brunswick to 117.
Dr. Jennifer Russell, the chief medical officer of health, said the affected person is in Zone 5, which is the Campbellton area.
The individual is between the ages of 40 and 49.
At a Wednesday afternoon news conference, Russell urged residents to stay vigilant by staying home and get tested if they experience symptoms.
"It is human nature to speculate how and when we will get back to normal and what that normal will look like," she said.
"But we cannot get ahead of ourselves."
Of the 117 cases, 66 are travel-related, 42 are close contacts of previously confirmed cases, and nine are the result of community transmission. There are no cases under investigation.
During the pandemic, 12 people have been hospitalized and seven have since been discharged. Three of the five patients remaining in hospital are in an intensive care unit.
To date, 77 people have recovered.
She said the goal is to prevent the coronavirus from becoming entrenched in New Brunswick, and her concern is with community transmission. She urged people who feel symptoms to get tested.
Legislature to consider job protection Friday
The legislature will reconvene Friday at 11 a.m., when amendments will be introduced providing for job protection for people forced to take leaves of absence because of COVID-19.
But a plan to raise certain fines under the Emergency Measures Act may not go ahead, Premier Blaine Higgs suggested Wednesday.
"The original intention was to allow an increase in fines relative to social distancing violations. However, the recent case numbers would indicate this may be unnecessary."
The ideas was to be discussed at Wednesday night's COVID-19 all-party meeting
Another amendment to that act would extend some timelines for courts and tribunals.
The house will sit for one day.
Moncton doctor says it's safe to visit ERs for urgent health concerns
A Moncton physician is reminding residents that emergency rooms are still a safe place to go if people are in need of immediate care — despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Moncton Hospital has seen a 50 per cent decrease in the number of ER visits since the pandemic started.
"Hospitals have taken a lot of precautions at keeping people suspected of having COVID-19 … out of our hospitals by testing at testing sites," said Dr. Serge Melanson, an emergency room physician at the Moncton Hospital.
"And those that do come to our ER department are isolated, and there's lots of precautions to keep them from the general public."
Although people might be apprehensive about visiting the ER, Melanson said people should visit the hospital if they're feeling an unfamiliar pain in their body.
"Whether it be chest pain or sudden abdominal pain … those type of things should really not be delayed," he said.
Over the last week, Melanson said, he has seen many patients with pain who visited the ER after waiting for days because of fears about COVID-19.
"Sometimes they've had a more complicated medical situation to deal with because of that delay."
During Wednesday's news conference, Dr. Jennifer Russell, New Brunswick's chief medical officer of health, underscored the safety of visiting hospital emergency rooms.
"Our hospitals have taken precautions to keep people suspected of having COVID-19 outside the emergency rooms by setting up off-site assessment sites or in other parts of the hospital," she said.
The Heart and Stroke Foundation of New Brunswick is also urging people to seek emergency care if they experience symptoms of cardiovascular disease.
Hospitals across the province are admitting fewer people with symptoms of heart attack and stroke, the foundation said in a news release.
Dairy farmers forced to dump tractor trailers of milk
Dairy farmers in New Brunswick were forced to dump 10 tractor-trailers loads of milk last week because of a downturn in the market.
"When you bust your butt to try to produce it, it does break your heart," said Paul Gaunce, chair of the Dairy Farmers of New Brunswick.
Once businesses, schools and hotels shut down because of COVID-19, there has been a drop in demand for milk products.
"One of our biggest losses right now is cream because of the loss of coffee shops and restaurants and hotels," said Gaunce, who represents 172 dairy farms across the province.
"The processors have had to change their lines to make sure they're producing the products that consumers are using at home."
Some retailers also faced a shortage of milk because of panic buying in late March.
Although there was enough milk available, retailers weren't prepared for the sudden increase in demand.
But Gaunce said the supply is now stable again.
Province has 'plenty of test kits' for COVID-19
Premier Blaine Higgs says "there are plenty of test kits" to handle the number of COVID-19 tests that need to be performed.
Higgs wouldn't give a specific number for the test kits that are available.
"Supplies are not restricting our ability to provide maximum health care and testing that we need to do, as it's decided to be done."
Earlier this week, Dr. Jennifer Russell said testing protocols for COVID-19 would be expanded to include those suffering from a number of symptoms including fever, sore throat and a cough.
Fredericton postpones 2 construction projects
The City of Fredericton has postponed two construction projects until 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fredericton Mayor Mike O'Brien said construction on Regent Street, between Queen Street and King Street, and Union Street will no longer take place this spring and summer as scheduled.
The projects involved upgrading the water and sewer systems in those areas.
"We decided last night we're not going to do that, hoping that our businesses can open in the near future," O'Brien said.
"The last thing they would need is shovels and backhoes in front of their business again."
Both projects are being replaced by two smaller projects that will have less impact on residents and businesses looking to reopen.
One project will take place on St. Mary's Street, between the Northside City Works Depot and Two Nations Crossing. The second project will take place on Terrance Street, between Brookside Drive and Harley Avenue.
The St. Mary's Street and Terrance Street projects are expected to cost $1 million — the same price as the Regent Street and Union Street projects.
City staff have also analyzed the 2020 capital construction plan and have identified $4 million in projects that could be put off to help bridge revenue shortfalls because of COVID-19.
The city will go ahead with $10 million in infrastructure projects that address safety concerns.
Communities struggle to establish emergency child-care facilities
Premier Blaine Higgs says some communities are still facing challenges in establishing emergency child-care centres.
Higgs said government has proposed changes to the Emergency Measures Act that would enable the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development to establish more emergency child-care facilities.
"This allows for the department to draw on its resources such as school facilities to ensure our front-line emergency workers have the child care they require to continue to provide essential services," he said Wednesday at a coronavirus briefing.
The department has received nearly 3,000 requests for emergency child-care and has placed more than 1,000 children in emergency child-care facilities.
Biotech company to provide 500,000 tests to Canadians
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that LuminUltra, a New Brunswick-based biotechnology company, is ramping up its production capacity to provide tests for the provinces and territories.
The company has announced it will provide 500,000 needed COVID-19 tests per week to the Canadian federal government to use across Canada.
"By producing and delivering 500,000 tests per week that leverage the existing testing infrastructure, we are essentially providing one test for every Canadian as a crucial step towards defeating the pandemic, protecting Canadians and alleviating the human cost of this disease," said Pat Whalen, LuminUltra chair and CEO.
Printing company begins mass-producing face shields
A Fredericton printing company has switched from creating brochures and signs to building face shields for front-line workers.
Instead of laying off staff, Scott WIlliams, CEO of Taylor Printing, did everything he could to keep them on the payroll.
But he needed to find a new source of revenue.
"I come up with silly ideas all the time, and usually about one in 99 are good," said Williams.
Eventually, he was able to figure out to construct masks out of printing equipment.
Taylor Printing is making the shields from plastic supplied by a company in Ontario.
The company will begin printing plastic face shields today and is anticipating it will be able to make between 5,000 and 6,000 masks a day.
The company has already received an order for 40,000 masks from the Department of Public Safety.
"We never dreamed that this is what we'd be doing. But it's part of business and you take the hand that you're dealt and make the best of it."
Some workers are forced to work in close proximity
Premier Blaine Higgs said he understands there are some risks that come with certain jobs.
He uses the example of paramedics, health-care workers and child-care workers in close proximity with one another in their jobs.
"We're asking obviously that the right precautions are taken and the right equipment is worn," he said. "But this is part of the job and we accept there are certain risks to that."
He said the province provides instruction and necessary equipment to do so.
"We need them to get through this."
Although some of these workers might be forced to work in close proximity, Higgs said it's important people avoid it if they can.
"That's the challenge, it's kind of a common sense thing."
What to do if you have symptoms
People concerned they might have COVID-19 can take a self-assessment on the government website. Symptoms of coronavirus include fever, a new or worsening cough, and breathlessness, as well as sore throat, headache and runny nose. People with two of those symptoms are asked to:
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Stay at home.
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Immediately call Tele-Care 811.
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Describe symptoms and travel history.
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Follow instructions carefully.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
With files from Sarah Morin