N.B. COVID-19 roundup: 1 new death, backlog in testing 'unacceptable'

Public Health reported another COVID-related death Friday and 51 new cases of the virus, pushing the active case count up for a second straight day to 477.

A person 70 to 79 years old in the Edmundston region, Zone 4, has died because of COVID-19. This brings the pandemic death toll to 121.

Only 319 COVID tests were conducted Thursday, according to the COVID-19 dashboard, as the strike by members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees, now into Day 8, kept several testing centres closed.

Dr. John Dornan, the interim president and CEO of the Horizon Health Network, said the number of people waiting for testing is "unacceptable."

"How do we get ahead of COVID if we don't know who's infected?" he asked during a government news conference.

"If they're running around, working in our communities and therefore infecting other people, it's a very critical, emergency situation."

Public Safety Minister Ted Flemming announced cabinet is using the Emergency Measures Act to order striking health-care workers back to work at 11:59 p.m.

The government has "no alternative," Flemming said. "We are doing this to prevent loss of life, lack of treatment, deterioration in health care and the potential irreparable harm to our health-care system. … It's an emergency, it's crisis."

The strike involves 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.

It has disrupted several public services, including COVID care.

All Horizon Health Network COVID-19 testing centres in the Moncton, Saint John and Fredericton regions have been closed since Tuesday, and the Miramichi centre is operating at "reduced capacity." All Vitalité Health Network's assessment centres have remained opened.

Public Health has limited lab polymerase chain reaction, or PCR, tests to four priority groups, Horizon and Vitalité vaccination clinics haven't been able to accommodate walk-ins, and fewer rapid-screening kit pickup locations are operating.

A circuit breaker in the northern part of the Fredericton region, Zone 3, Edmundston region, Zone 4 and Campbellton region, and Zone 5, will be lifted at 6 p.m.

The circuit breaker covering large sections of the Moncton region, Zone 1, and Saint John region, Zone 2, will continue for at least another week to further limit the spread of the virus and reduce further hospitalizations.

The affected Zone 1 area stretches as far north as and including Sainte-Anne-de-Kent and Zone 2 areas include New River Beach and Lepreau, north to the communities of Clarendon and Welsford, east to the community of Head of Millstream, and all communities in Saint John and Kings counties.

Private gatherings in these areas are limited to people who live together, caregivers for any of those people, plus any parent, child, sibling, grandparent or grandchild of those people who requires support, plus any one additional person who lives alone at another address who requires support. Non-essential travel to or from circuit breaker regions is restricted.

Fourteen people are hospitalized because of the virus, down from 18, including nine in intensive care, a decrease of three.

Of those in hospital, 11 are unvaccinated and three are fully vaccinated.

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

A total of 85.6 per cent of New Brunswickers aged 12 or older are fully vaccinated, up from 85.4 per cent, while 92.8 per cent have received their first dose, unchanged.

Of the new cases, 32 – or 63 per cent – are unvaccinated, one – or two per cent – is partially vaccinated and 18 – or 35 per cent – are fully vaccinated.

The new cases include:

Moncton region, Zone 1, 22 cases:

• 10 people 19 or under
• Two people 20-29
• Four people 30-39
• A person 40-49
• Two people 50-59
• A person 60-69
• Two people 70-79

Nineteen of these cases are under investigation and three cases are contacts of previously confirmed cases.

Saint John region, Zone 2, 10 cases:

• Five people 19 or under
• Two people 20-29
• Two people 40-49
• A person 60-69

Nine of these cases are under investigation and one is a contact of a previously confirmed case.

Fredericton region, Zone 3, two cases:

• A person 19 or under
• A person 60-69

Both cases are under investigation.

Edmundston region, Zone 4, two cases:

• A person 60-69
• A person 70-79

Both cases are under investigation.

Campbellton region, Zone 5, three cases:

• A person 30-39
• A person 60-69
• A person 70-79

All three of these cases are under investigation.

Miramichi region, Zone 7, 12 cases:

• Seven people 19 or under
• Three people 20-29
• Two people 30-39

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

New Brunswick has had 6,666 confirmed cases of COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic, with 6,067 recoveries so far.

A total of 529,098 COVID tests have been conducted to date.

School rapid testing 'paused'

The school rapid testing program has been "paused" because the CUPE strike is affecting contact management, according to a notice to parents Thursday from the Department of Education and Public Health.

The change took effect Oct. 29.

"Students identified as a close contact of COVID-19 will not have access to the POCT [point-of-care testing] kits through their local school and will be required to follow self-isolation as directed by regional public health until further notice," the advisory states.

Students already enrolled in the program, which began Oct. 12, should continue with daily POCT monitoring. "If any child tests positive, isolate immediately and contact the local Public Health office for further direction."

People who are currently self-isolating after contact with a positive case must continue to self-isolate. If they have no symptoms, they can end their isolation at 11:59 p.m. on Day 14, according to the letter.

If symptoms develop, they must continue to self-isolate and request a polymerase chain reaction, or PCR, test online or by calling Tele-Care 811.

"Given the circumstances, delays are to be expected," the letter signed by Assistant Deputy Minister Education Craig Caldwell and Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Jennifer Russell states.

"We recognize how challenging service changes are for everyone, and your continued patience is greatly appreciated."

The school program was designed to help slow the spread of COVID and minimize disruptions to learning.

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.

On Thursday, Health Minister Dorothy Shephard said the province will begin to rely more heavily on rapid tests moving forward and on the public "to be partners in their [own] health care."

"This will be a part of the evolution to living with COVID," she said.

Daycare forced to cut services due to unvaccinated staff

An Edmundston daycare is warning parents of cutbacks in service in two weeks, when unvaccinated workers are sent home without pay under the province's mandatory vaccination policy.

The owners of the Mélubulles daycare say they will no longer be able to offer after-school daycare after Nov. 19 because seven employees will be forced to leave for refusing to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

Thirty-five children will be affected. That's left parents like Sylvie Morin scrambling to find alternate care.

Morin says she hasn't been able to find a spot for her daughter. "Daycare centres in general do not have places. So for now, we don't really know what we're going to do," she said.

The loss of service also complicates the life of Sylvain Cyr, who must find a solution for his nine-year-old son, who has attention deficit disorder.

Cyr is a truck driver and the mother of the child is about to return to work after a leave of absence.

Some parents will be forced to stay home, he said. "It's not easy. Especially today, with the cost of living, there is no longer a couple who can afford to stay at home."

Mélanie Levesque-Dugas, the co-owner of the daycare in Edmundston, would like to see the province abandon the mandatory vaccination policy.

Her employees who refuse to be vaccinated and will have to be fired are willing to be tested, she said.

"We have already been following the policies for a year and a half, where at the slightest symptom, we have them tested, we make them stay at home. If they are in contact, they remain isolated for two weeks. I don't understand why we couldn't just continue from that perspective."

On Thursday, the government opened the door to dropping its mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy for health-care workers.

Health Minister Dorothy Shephard said in the legislature Thursday she 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.

On Oct. 5, Premier Blaine Higgs announced that all provincial government employees, as well as staff in long-term care facilities, schools and child-care facilities must provide proof they are fully vaccinated or have a medical exemption by Nov. 19. If not, they'll be placed on leave without pay. 

Province now reports vaccination status among people who die

The province has started reporting the COVID-19 vaccination rate among New Brunswickers who die because of the  virus.

The COVID-19 dashboard has been updated and now includes the vaccination status for the deceased, by rate per 100,000 only. New Brunswick had recorded 120 COVID-related deaths by Thursday.

The dashboard shows 23.5 per 100,000 of the people who have died since Aug. 1, 2021, were unvaccinated, 15.1 were partially vaccinated and 5.7 were fully vaccinated.

Department of Health officials did not respond to a request for comment Friday about why New Brunswick hasn't followed the lead of other provinces like Nova Scotia and reported the COVID-related deaths by vaccination status as percentages.

It's also unclear why the dashboard data only dates back to Aug. 1, or why that date was chosen, but New Brunswick moved to the green phase of COVID recovery on July 31. 

How many of the province's COVID-related deaths have occurred since then is not provided.

The dashboard also now includes the vaccination status among new cases. As of Friday morning, 56.4 per cent are unvaccinated, 2.6 per cent are partially vaccinated and 41 per cent are fully vaccinated.

As the province's vaccination rate increases, officials anticipate one quarter to one half of new infections will be in fully vaccinated individuals, Dr. Jennifer Russell, the chief medical officer of health, has said. But they're expected to be protected from severe outcomes, hospitalizations and deaths.

There are also new categories for hospital patients. Among active hospitalizations, 8.5 per 100,000 are unvaccinated, zero are partially vaccinated and one per 100,000 are fully vaccinated.

As of a couple weeks ago, the fully vaccinated hospitalized patients were generally experiencing mild symptoms, Russell said. But she noted they require additional care and protective measures, which places additional strain on the health-care system.

For active intensive care admissions, the rates are 6.4 unvaccinated, zero partially vaccinated and 0.5 fully vaccinated.

Doctors urge keeping mandatory vaccination policy

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

"We're taking care of the sickest people in New Brunswick and it is our duty to protect them and provide appropriate care," said president Dr. Mark MacMillan. "So we can't have COVID-19 being introduced into hospital systems and nursing homes, the special-care facilities, for example. People need to be vaccinated working with this population.

"So we are pushing forward and continuing to suggest that all health-care workers be vaccinated appropriately."

MacMillan's comments come after Health Minister Dorothy Shephard said Thursday 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.

New Brunswick's current policy requires that by Nov. 19, all government employees provide proof they are fully vaccinated or have a medical exemption. 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.

Given chronic staffing shortages and backlogs created by the week-long CUPE strike, MacMillan said the loss of even a single additional worker is a challenge.

But he's holding out hope more people will come around, noting "almost 99 per cent" of physicians are vaccinated.

According to the Department of Health, 97 per cent of physicians were fully vaccinated as of Oct. 28.

With a 28-day wait between first and second doses, unvaccinated and partially vaccinated health-care workers will have to be off work without pay for at least some time, MacMillan acknowledged.

Still, he encourages them to "start the process now.

"Get vaccinated and please come back and work with us as soon as you can."

Johnson & Johnson vaccines coming

New Brunswick is one step closer to getting about 500 doses of Johnson & Johnson's one-dose COVID-19 vaccine Janssen.

The federal government expects to soon take delivery of 20,000 doses of the single-shot vaccine from France. Those doses will be distributed to the provinces.

New Brunswick has not said who the Janssen vaccines will be used for. Last month, Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Jennifer Russell said, "We are putting a plan together at this moment and we can provide more details on that as we get them."

Alberta, Saskatchewan and British Columbia have requested tens of thousands of doses of the vaccine as a way to try to increase vaccine uptake among holdouts. Alberta Premier Jason Kenney has said some people in areas of low vaccine uptake have expressed a preference for the Janssen vaccine.

Although Janssen has been approved for use in Canada since March, it has not yet been administered.

New cases at 4 schools, 4 child-care facilities

Six new cases of COVID-19 have been identified at four schools since Thursday, the COVID-19 dashboard shows.

In the Moncton region, Zone 1, a positive case or cases have been confirmed at Magnetic Hill School, which was not previously impacted.

A case or cases have also been confirmed at Edith Cavell School in Zone 1, Polyvalente Thomas-Albert in the Edmundston region, Zone 4, and Nelson Rural School in the Miramichi region, Zone 7.

Thirty-one schools are currently impacted across the province.

A total of 442 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed at 120 schools since the beginning of the school year.

A positive case of COVID-19 has been confirmed at each of the following child-care facilities, which were not previously impacted: Chatham Day Care Center and Stacey's Play and Learn Preschool, both in the Miramichi region, Zone 7.

A new case has also been confirmed at each of the following child-care facilities: Reaching for Rainbows Daycare and at Centre de Jour l'Éveil, both in the Moncton region, Zone 1.

People who were in close contact with a confirmed case will be notified directly by Public Health or the facility for contact tracing, Public Health said.

Since Sept. 7, 66 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 40 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, putting the province's active case count at 220. Nine people are in hospital, including one who is in intensive care.

Newfoundland and Labrador reported eight new cases on Friday. The province has 52 active cases and one person in hospital.

Prince Edward Island reported one new case on Wednesday and has five active cases.

Public exposure notices

Public Health has posted a number of new public exposure notices Friday, including the Dr. Georges-L.-Dumont hospital's emergency department waiting room in Moncton, Zone 1, on Nov. 4, the 8th Hussars Sports Centre in Sussex, Zone 2, on Oct. 29 and 30, and a Halloween party Oct. 31 at Kane's River Hill in the Miramichi region, 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.