N.B. COVID-19 roundup: 1 death, Coon criticizes lack of designated essential COVID workers

COVID-19 has claimed the life of another New Brunswicker, and Green Party Leader David Coon says the Higgs government has failed when it comes to designating essential workers during a strike.

A person in their 50s in the Moncton region, Zone 1, has died because of COVID-19, Public Health announced Wednesday.

This pushes the death toll since the beginning of the pandemic to 119.

It comes as all Horizon Health COVID-19 testing centres in the Moncton, Saint John and Fredericton regions are closed because of the strike by members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees, now into Day 6.

The Miramichi assessment centre is the only Horizon one that continues to operate and it is at "reduced capacity."

Coon contends the government had a long time to prepare.

"The government should have gone to the labour board and said, 'Look, in the context of the pandemic, we need some additional employees designated as essential in the context of managing the pandemic,' and they failed to do that," he told reporters Wednesday.

"That should have been an obvious step taken long ago when it was clear that they weren't making any progress on collective bargaining and that the strike very well was going to be imminent."

The strike involves 22,000 workers in 10 CUPE locals, including health care, education, transportation and agricultural sectors, as well as social workers, jail guards, court stenographers and staff at WorkSafeNB and New Brunswick community colleges.

On Monday, in a news release, the government said, "While Public Health has implemented contingency plans, CUPE did not agree to the designation of essential workers in COVID-19 services (screening, vaccination clinics, assessment centres, labs), putting further strain on the health-care system."

The Vitalité Health Network manages assessment centres in the Edmundston, Campbellton and Bathurst regions. All of its sites remain open.

Public Health is contacting higher-risk patients in areas where assessment centres are closed and diverting them elsewhere for testing.

Only 269 tests were conducted Tuesday, according to the COVID-19 dashboard, down from 1,348 last Thursday, before the strike began.

Asked again Wednesday whether he feels enough testing is being conducted to be certain COVID cases are being found, Premier Blaine Higgs replied, "Our testing is down a bit. So yes, it's a concern.

"However, I'm assured by the medical authorities that we are up today," he told reporters, citing between 800 and 900 tests instead of the 269 the dashboard shows.

On Tuesday, Higgs had expressed concern over the reliability of the new cases data, given the impact of the strike on testing.

"We have more of the rapid tests out in the system now than we had before. So a lot of people now have access to that," he added Wednesday.

But the strike has affected the availability of the rapid test kits. Horizon's mobile pickup sites are not operating and Vitalité said its Caraquet, Clair, Cocagne, Grand Falls, and Saint-Isidore distribution sites will all remain closed Thursday and Friday.

In addition, all positive rapid test results must be confirmed with a laboratory polymerase chain reaction, or PCR, test. And because the strike is also impacting the province's microbiology lab in Moncton, Public Health has announced four priority groups for PCR testing. These include:

• Those working and living in vulnerable settings, such as a hospital, long-term care facility or shelter
• Those prioritized by a medical officer of health
• Anyone who is symptomatic, with priority given to those who are unvaccinated
• Those who require testing for travel, although with no guarantee of a 72-hour turnaround for test results

Higgs said he expected to discuss testing Wednesday night during a meeting with Public Health officials.

"What they'll recommend going forward, we'll find out tonight in relation to next steps, and if they too have additional concerns in any way on testing."

It's unclear whether the Horizon testing centres will remain closed for the duration of the strike, said spokesperson Kris McDavid. "This is being monitored on a daily basis."

He did not respond to questions about whether some staff could be redeployed to keep some of the assessment centres open a few hours a day or a few days a week.

Asked how the other regional health authority is able to keep its testing centres open, McDavid said Vitalité "uses a different system/process for their assessment centres."

Asked to elaborate, he said, "The way they process referrals for testing and assessment at the centres is different than Horizon."

He did not explain how the process is different or why this allows Vitalité to continue to operate during the strike.

Vitalité officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

"Testing is essential to help reduce the risk of the spread of COVID-19 in New Brunswick," Horizon's website says.

Assessment centres normally offer appointments for people with symptoms of COVID-19, as well as those who have been directed by Public Health to be tested for COVID-19.

Surgeries cancelled, changes to services

In a daily status update Wednesday, Horizon said 37 surgeries were cancelled because of the strike and 2,240 patient appointments or procedures were cancelled.

On Tuesday, 35 surgeries were cancelled and 1,408 patient appointments or procedures.

"Unless you have been notified by Horizon that your surgery/procedure/appointment remains in place, it is cancelled," Horizon said, except all oncology and dialysis treatments will continue.

All Horizon's hospitals are experiencing delays with COVID-19 screening people at main entrances.

Starting Thursday, the recovery centre at Ridgewood Addiction Services in Saint John must reduce its hours from 24/7 coverage to Monday through Friday, between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Horizon said.

Patients will be provided with "supports," such as virtual and phone appointments, to continue their recovery off site after hours, but overnight and weekend services will not be available, it said.

Vitalité has advised that the main entrances to its facilities could be closed temporarily because of the CUPE strike and patients could be directed to other entrances. For example, an emergency entrance might be used at certain times of the day, it said.

"Expect delays entering facilities."

Breakdown of new cases

Public Health reported 60 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday and 71 recoveries, dropping the active case count to 458 from 470.

Nineteen people are hospitalized because of the virus, down from 24, including 13 in intensive care, a decrease of one.

Of those in hospital, 13 are unvaccinated and six are fully vaccinated.

Of those in an ICU, 10 are unvaccinated and three are fully vaccinated.

A total of 85.3 per cent of New Brunswickers aged 12 or older are fully vaccinated, up from 85.2 per cent on Tuesday, while 92.7 per cent have received their first dose, which is unchanged.

Of the 60 new cases reported Wednesday, 47 people, or 78 per cent, are unvaccinated, one person, or two per cent, is partially vaccinated and 12, or 20 per cent, are fully vaccinated.

The new cases are spread across six of the seven health regions. They include:

Moncton region, Zone 1, 27 cases:

• 16 people 19 or under
• Two people 20-29
• Four people 30-39
• Two people 40-49
• A person 50-59
• Two people 60-69

Twenty of these cases are under investigation and seven are contacts of previously confirmed cases.

Saint John region, Zone 2, 10 cases:

• Four people 19 or under
• A person 20-29
• A person 30-39
• Two people 40-49
• Two people 50-59

Six of these cases are under investigation and four are contacts of previously confirmed cases.

Fredericton region, Zone 3, six  cases:

• A person 19 or under
• A person 20-29
• Two people 30-39
• A person 50-59
• A person 80-89

Four of these cases are contacts of previously confirmed cases and two are under investigation.

Edmundston region, Zone 4, five cases:

• Two people 19 or under
• Three people 40-49

Four of these cases are contacts of previously confirmed cases and the other is under investigation.

Campbellton region, Zone 5, two cases:

• A person 20-29
• A person 60-69

Both of these cases are under investigation.

Miramichi region, Zone 7, 10 cases:

• A person 19 or under
• A person 20-29
• A person 30-39
• Four people 40-49
• A person 50-59
• Two people 60-69

Eight of these cases are contacts of previously confirmed cases and two are under investigation.

New Brunswick has had 6,576 confirmed cases of COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic, with 5,998 recoveries so far.

A total of 528,499 COVID tests have been conducted to date.

Pharmacists brace for booster dose wave

New Brunswick pharmacists are bracing to get even busier now that another large cohort of people can book appointments for booster COVID-19 vaccine doses, says the head of the provincial association.

People 65 and older and school personnel are now permitted to book an appointment to receive an mRNA vaccine booster dose if six months have passed since their second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, Public Health announced Tuesday.

People who have received one or two doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine are also now permitted to book an appointment to receive an mRNA booster dose if 28 days have passed since their second dose. Evidence has shown those who got viral vector vaccines, such as AstraZeneca, have "somewhat lower initial vaccine effectiveness" and people who got those shots "may become susceptible to infection sooner than people who received a primary series that included at least one dose of an mRNA vaccine," the National Advisory Committee on Immunization, or NACI, has said.

Other groups that were previously eligible include health-care personnel and seniors in long-term care homes and other communal settings.

A third dose is also being offered to people who are moderately to severely immunocompromised because of a medical condition or treatment. Unlike a booster, a third dose is for people who may not have mounted a strong enough immune response to fight off COVID-19 after two doses.

Jake Reid, executive director of the New Brunswick Pharmacists' Association, expects pharmacies will administer a large share of the shots.

"Pharmacies have been doing almost half of all the COVID vaccines in the province. They've done just over 580,000 injections now for COVID," he said.

The rest are done by the regional health authorities.

The strike by members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees has affected some health-care services, including the Horizon and Vitalité COVID-19 vaccination clinics. They are no longer able to accept walk-ins. People must schedule an appointment. A list of upcoming clinics is available online.

"People are asked to be patient with staff and expect delays," Public Health said Tuesday.

Their workload is incredible. They're certainly stressed because it's been so busy.- Jake Reid, New Brunswick Pharmacists' Association executive director

Reid said there aren't as many pharmacies administering COVID vaccines as there used to be. There are about 174, down from 208 earlier in the vaccine rollout.

"But a few more are coming on board again to be able to do the third dose, and more may come on to do the pediatric doses," once approved by Health Canada.

Pharmacies are also juggling annual flu shots right now. They've already administered 77,000 doses, said Reid, noting people can get their flu shot and COVID vaccine at the same time.

"So it is a very, very busy time" for pharmacists, on top of their work of filling prescriptions, said Reid.

"Their workload is incredible. They're certainly stressed because it's been so busy in pharmacy, as it has been on the front line for all health-care workers."

The flu shot campaign is usually concentrated over a period of eight to 10 weeks.

"So we know we'll get through this at some point in the coming weeks, but COVID will be a longtime thing," he said, likening it to a marathon, not a sprint.

"We're going to be doing third doses for some time yet. Eventually, we anticipate all age groups are going to be able to get their third dose. We know that pediatric doses are coming for age five to 11 fairly soon, so children will start getting their first, second and eventually, you know, we anticipate their third dose."

The association is talking to the government about possible solutions to lighten the workload that comes with COVID vaccinations "to help make this sustainable," he said.

"Do we need a hotline for non-appointment-related, you know, COVID vaccination questions? Because they get a lot of questions at pharmacies. I think the biggest part is the volume of phone calls. It's not just giving the vaccines, it's all the phone calls that are coming in."

Pharmacists are also looking into the idea of a centralized online booking system for pharmacy appointments, like the existing one for the regional health authorities, Reid said.

Booster shots will be provided the general public at a later date, Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Jennifer Russell has said.

"Based on the evidence of vaccine effectiveness, to date, we believe that most vaccinated New Brunswickers are still fully protected by the vaccine as less than six months have passed since they were fully vaccinated," she said.

Geriatric unit outbreak over

A COVID-19 outbreak on the Moncton Hospital's geriatric unit has been declared over, but outbreaks on the hospital's general surgery and cancer units continue, says the Horizon Health Network.

The outbreak on the geriatric unit (5200), which began on Sept. 27, was declared over on Monday, said spokesperson Kris McDavid.

A total of nine cases were confirmed in that outbreak — six patients and three staff members — with the last positive case being on Oct. 1, officials have said.

"The outbreak protocols on 5600 [the general surgery unit] and 4200 [the cancer unit] are still active as of today," McDavid said in an email.

No new cases have been confirmed, he added.

Protocols include mass testing, both units being closed to admissions and transfers, foot traffic being limited to essential services, such as food services, and staff following enhanced infection prevention and control guidelines.

Twenty-five people have been affected between the two units — 14 patients and 11 staff, since CBC first confirmed the outbreaks on Oct. 13.

3 new cases at schools

Three new cases of COVID-19 have been identified at two schools since Tuesday, the COVDI-19 dashboard shows.

A positive case or cases have been confirmed at Maplehurst Middle School in the Moncton region, Zone 1, and Nelson Rural School in the Miramichi region, Zone 7.

Thirty-one schools are currently impacted across the province.

A total of 429 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed at 118 schools since the beginning of the school year.

All schools moved to online learning Monday because of the CUPE strike. Students will continue to learn from home until the strike is over, the government has said.

The province did not provide an update on any COVID-19 cases at early learning and child-care centres Wednesday.

As of Monday, 63 early learning and child-care centres have had confirmed cases of COVID-19 since Sept. 7. The total number of cases has not been released.

Atlantic COVID roundup

Nova Scotia reported 38 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, bringing the active caseload in the province to 180. Eight people are in hospital with the virus, none in intensive care.

Newfoundland and Labrador reported one new case of COVID on Wednesday, but testing systems are still affected by the cyberattack on the province's health-care system. The province has 60 active cases and one person is in hospital because of the virus.

Prince Edward Island reported two new cases Monday and has four active cases.

Public exposure notices

Public Health has posted new public exposure notices Wednesday, including an event at the Avenir Centre in Moncton on Oct. 29 between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. The Moncton Wildcats hosted the Cape Breton Eagles at the time, with a crowd of 3,409, according to the team's website.

Other exposure notices include an advance polling station for a municipal byelection and church in the Moncton region, Zone 1, a community centre in the Saint John region, Zone 2, and the annual Trunk or Treat Halloween event in Miramichi, Zone 7.

For the full list of new and previous public exposure notices, please visit the government of New Brunswick's website.

People who have not been fully vaccinated at least 14 days prior to a possible exposure and who have symptoms must get a COVID lab test. They can book an appointment online or call Tele-Care 811 and must isolate while waiting for their test result.

People who are not fully vaccinated and do not have symptoms, are now being instructed to pick up an At-Home COVID-19 Rapid Point of Care Test (Rapid POCT) screening kit. They do not need to isolate if they have not been directed by Public Health to do so.

All positive point of care test results must be confirmed with a laboratory polymerase chain reaction, or PCR, test.

It can take up to 14 days to test positive after being exposed to COVID-19 so even if their results comes back negative, they should continue to self-monitor for any symptoms and get tested immediately if any develop.

They should also avoid visiting settings with vulnerable populations, such as nursing homes, correctional facilities and shelters during that 14-day period.

For people who have been fully vaccinated at least 14 days prior to a possible exposure, Public Health recommends they monitor for symptoms for 14 days after the possible exposure and get a COVID lab test if symptoms develop.

They do not need to isolate while they wait for their test results.

If they do not have symptoms, they can pick up a rapid test kit and do not need to isolate.

What to do if you have a symptom

People concerned they might have COVID-19 can take a self-assessment test online.

Public Health says symptoms of the illness have included a fever above 38 C, a new or worsening cough, sore throat, runny nose, headache, a new onset of fatigue, and difficulty breathing.

In children, symptoms have also included purple markings on the fingers and toes.

People with one of those symptoms should stay at home, call 811 or their doctor and follow instructions.