N.B. COVID-19 roundup: 44 new cases, rise in workplace transmissions

New Brunswick recorded 44 new cases of COVID-19 Monday, and has seen an increase in workplace transmissions, with nearly 30 cases linked to just three employers in recent weeks, says WorkSafeNB.

"And the number continues to rise as case investigations continue," the Crown corporation said in a statement to employers, reminding them they must "take every reasonable precaution" to keep their workplaces healthy and safe.

Public Health has confirmed COVID-19 cases transmitted through workplace exposures, according to the notice.

The workplaces involved include health care, long-term care, education, child-care facilities, construction and manufacturing, it says.

The three workplaces associated with "almost 30 cases" are not identified, nor is their location revealed.

WorkSafeNB officials could not immediately be reached for comment.

Employers are urged to assess the risk of COVID-19 and put measures in place, such as developing a communicable disease prevention plan, to protect workers and clients.

504 active cases

The 44 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed Monday and 13 recoveries put the province's active case count at 504, up from 473.

"We continue to see an increased number of cases in Zone 7, the Miramichi region," Dr. Jennifer Russell, chief medical officer of health, said in a statement.

"These cases appear to be connected to two clusters of infections and Public Health is working hard to contain these outbreaks.

"It is important that people living in this area remain vigilant and continue to carefully follow the measures that are in place."

One of the outbreaks is at Nelson Rural School, and the other "impacts individuals experiencing homelessness," said Department of Health spokesperson Gail Harding.

"Case and contact tracing is underway and individuals infected are presently isolating," she said in an emailed statement.

Last Thursday, Russell said at the COVID briefing a circuit breaker might soon be required for the Miramichi region if a recent "spike" in cases related to a community shelter doesn't stabilize.

A circuit breaker limits private gatherings and bans non-essential travel to other areas to further limit the spread of the virus and reduce further hospitalizations.

Asked what might trigger a circuit breaker, limiting private gatherings and banning non-essential travel to other areas, Harding said, "We are continuously monitoring the presence, transmission and levels of COVID-19 in all regions and will recommend inclusion or exclusion of circuit breaker measures, should they be necessary."

The following areas remain under a circuit breaker until at least Friday at 6 p.m.: the Moncton region, Zone 1, as far north as and including Sainte-Anne-de-Kent, and a large section of the Saint John region, Zone 2, which includes New River Beach and Lepreau, north to the communities of Clarendon and Welsford, east to the community of Head of Millstream, and all of the communities in Saint John and Kings counties.

Since Health Minister Dorothy Shephard announced a one-week extension of the circuit breaker in the Moncton region last Thursday, the new daily cases have increased from nine to two consecutive days of 22, up to 30 on Sunday and then back down to 12 on Monday.

In the Saint John region, the new daily cases have remained relatively stable, going from 11 to two consecutive days of 10, down to four and back up to nine on Monday.

Asked whether the data indicates the circuit breaker in the Moncton region is no longer working, Harding replied, "Following the implementation of circuit breaker measures, we have seen a reduction in the average number of daily cases in all zones. While Zone 1 has seen a stabilization recently, the situation would likely be worse should there have been no circuit breaker."

Seventeen people are in hospital because of the virus, two more than on Sunday, including nine in intensive care, which is unchanged.

Of those in hospital, 14 are unvaccinated and three are fully vaccinated.

Of those in intensive care, eight are unvaccinated and one is fully vaccinated.

A total of 86 per cent of New Brunswickers 12 or older are fully vaccinated, up from 85.9 per cent, and 92.9 per cent have received their first vaccine dose, unchanged.

Of the new cases, 24 people, or 54.5 per cent, are unvaccinated, two people, or 4.5 per cent, are partially vaccinated and 18 people, or 41 per cent, are fully vaccinated.

The new cases include:

Moncton region, Zone 1, 12 cases:

• Four people 19 or under
• Two people 20-29
• Two people 30-39
• Two people 40-49
• A person 60-69
• A person 70-79

Ten of these cases are under investigation, one is a contact of a previously confirmed case and the other is travel-related.

Saint John region, Zone 2, nine cases:

• Three people 19 or under
• Three people 20-29
• A person 30-39
• A person 40-49
• A person 60-69

Eight of these cases are under investigation and the other is a contact of a previously confirmed case.

Fredericton region, Zone 3, six cases:

• Two people 19 or under
• Three people 30-39
• A person 40-49

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

Edmundston region, Zone 4, two cases:

• Two people 19 or under

Both of these cases are under investigation.

Miramichi region, Zone 7, 15 cases:

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

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

New Brunswick has had 6,813 confirmed cases of COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic, with 6,187 recoveries so far and 121 COVID-related deaths.

A total of 530,720 tests have been conducted, including 782 on Sunday.

New exposure notices include CUPE picket line

Public Health issued public exposure notices Monday involving the picket line for striking Canadian Union of Public Employees in the Saint John region, Zone 2.

They include:

• Nov. 3 between 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. – CUPE picket line outside Lancaster Mall (621 Fairville Blvd., Saint John)
• Nov. 4 and 5 between 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. – CUPE picket line (Fairville Blvd. & Plaza Lane intersection, Saint John)

The strike by 22,000 workers in 10 CUPE locals, including health care, education, transportation and agricultural sectors, as well as social workers, correctional officers, court stenographers and staff at WorkSafeNB and New Brunswick community colleges is now into Day 11.

On Friday, the province ordered striking health-care workers back to work. Those mandated back include more than 2,000 workers in locals 1252, 1190 and 1251, which represent support staff in vaccination clinics and hospitals, and those providing laundry services to hospitals and nursing homes.

Strike action by those not affected by the order continues.

No further talks are scheduled, Premier Blaine Higgs told reporters Monday. There's no need to go back to the table, he said, because the government's final offer was presented last Thursday night.

"The process here needs to be the members understand what it is that's on the table and that it is indeed clarified," he said.

"That's what I learned on Friday from speaking to many [members] is that further clarification was needed and we need to ensure all the facts are on the table."

Higgs said he doesn't think striking CUPE workers are getting all the information they need on the government's offer. It's time for the workers to vote on it, he said.

COVID-19 testing has started to increase now that the health-care workers have returned to work and Horizon's assessment centres have reopened.

A total of 782 polymerase chain reaction, or PCR, lab tests were conducted on Sunday, according to the COVID-19 dashboard. That's up from 521 provincewide on Saturday and 319 on Friday, the daily testing totals reveal.

Before the strike began, more than 1,000 tests were being conducted daily. The low testing has raised concerns about whether COVID cases are being found.

Department of Health and Horizon officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment about how many people are waiting to be tested.

But "any remaining backlog in testing capacity is anticipated to be cleared up within the next day or two," Horizon spokesperson Kris McDavid said in an emailed statement.

Horizon's mobile pickup sites for rapid COVID-19 test kits have also resumed operating with the back-to-work order.

The sites are open Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. until 2:30 p.m., or until the daily supply of test kits has been given out.

A full list of the locations and times is available online.

Horizon and Vitalité health network COVID-19 vaccination clinics are still operating by appointment only, "due to the present CUPE strike action," according to the government's website. "Walk-ins cannot be accepted at this present time," it states.

Walk-in capacity is being reintroduced "as needed" at most Horizon clinics across the province for first and second adult doses only, said McDavid.

A full list of the clinics is available online.

Impact of mandatory shots on staffing overblown

An Ontario-based epidemiologist says concerns about mass worker shortages if COVID-19 vaccine mandates are implemented are overblown.

The New Brunswick government has opened the door to dropping its mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy for health-care workers.

Last week in the legislature, Health Minister Dorothy Shephard said the government is "reviewing" the decisions of Ontario and Quebec, which have both backed away from requiring health-care workers to be vaccinated, citing fears of staffing shortages.

Colin Furness, an infection control epidemiologist and assistant professor at the University of Toronto, contends threats to not get vaccinated have largely proven hollow. He points to education staff in Ontario as an example.

"There was some alarm that there could be as many as 50,000 education workers off the job and that would make our education system stop. That's certainly one thing government said. And when push came to shove in that particular sector, it ended up being 100 workers out of a workforce of about 350,000, I think. So it didn't really materialize."

Although there could be shortages in some circumstances, "it's not the boogeyman that it's been presented to be," said Furness.

New Brunswick's current policy requires all government employees provide proof they are fully vaccinated or have a medical exemption by Nov. 19. Otherwise they'll be placed on unpaid leave.

As of Thursday, about 1,968 health-care workers are still not fully vaccinated, Shephard told reporters.

Furness said that's "not a small number." But he suspects some people will be sent home without pay for a period of time, and then they'll "realize after they've been off the job for a few days that maybe they'd rather not be off the job."

The New Brunswick Medical Society has also urged the provincial government to maintain its mandatory vaccination policy for health-care professionals.

Furness said he believes some governments are ideologically opposed to vaccination mandates, which may have made the decision to cancel them easier.

One alternative, he said, would be to reassign unvaccinated workers instead of firing them. That way, it's less about a battle between the government and people, or between employers and unions, and more of an emphasis on public safety, he said.

New cases at 7 schools, 2 child-care facilities

Eleven new cases of COVID-19 have been identified at seven schools since Friday, according to the COVID-19 dashboard.

In the Moncton region, Zone 1, a positive case or cases have been confirmed at École Le Marais and Riverview Middle School, which were not previously impacted.

A positive case or cases have also been confirmed at Hillcrest School, in Zone 1, Simonds High School, Island View School, and Champlain Heights School, all in the Saint John region, Zone 2, and Polyvalente Thomas-Albert in the Edmundston region, Zone 4.

Thirty-two schools are currently affected.

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

A total of 453 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed at 122 schools since the beginning of the school year.

Since Friday, a case of COVID-19 has been confirmed at each of the following child-care facilities: Garderie La Cartine Daycare Inc. in the Moncton region, Zone 1, and Seawood Early Childcare Centre in the Saint John region, Zone 2.

People who have been in close contact with a positive case will be notified directly by Public Health or the facility for contact tracing, according to a news release from Public Health.

Since Sept. 7, 68 early learning and child-care centres have had confirmed cases of COVID-19. The total number of cases has not been released.

Atlantic COVID roundup

Nova Scotia reported a three-day total of 111 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday, bringing the province's active caseload to 255. Nine people are in hospital with COVID-19, including one in intensive care.

Newfoundland and Labrador reported nine new cases in its first update since before the weekend. The province has 36 active cases and one person in hospital.

Prince Edward Island announced four new cases on Sunday, and has seven active cases.

Public exposure notices

Public Health has posted several new public exposure notices Monday, including two Saint John Transit bus routes to two local malls over three days.

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 should still 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.