Dr. Jennifer Russell (Photo: GNB YouTube)
Some good news for the Edmundston Zone 4 region just in time for Christmas.
Based on the slow growth of cases in Zone 4, New Brunswick chief medical officer of health Dr. Jennifer Russell recommends a move back to the Yellow level of pandemic recovery as of 12:01 a.m. Wednesday which was accepted by the all-party cabinet COVID committee.
All of the province will now be in the Yellow level.
Public Health is reporting two new cases of COVID-19 today (December 22):
Both cases are in the Moncton Zone 1 region and are said to be self-isolating:
- someone in their 20s which is a contact of a previous case
- someone in their 60s which is travel-related
Another round of testing is underway at the Parkland Saint John seniors facility where Dr. Russell says the number of confirmed cases remains at 20 – 11 residents, 8 employees and one non-Shannex employee.
Due to the risks associated with large groups, Public Health will not be permitting sport tournaments until at least mid-January.
Regular play such as a one-on-one hockey game is allowed, but no tournaments, bonspiels or major events can take place at this time.
“We apologize for the inconvenience to people who may be organizing such an event, but we need to keep everyone safe,” said Russell. “The risk is just too high.”
Dr. Russell called last weekend’s first vaccine rollout at the Miramichi Regional Hospital as historic and noted how a clinic is being planned for the Moncton Zone 1 region next week.
“There is recognition that the holiday period is of great importance to many people, and that balancing the social determinants of health is an important consideration if we can ensure risks of transmission are low and within an acceptable range,” said Dr. Russell.
“It remains very important to keep your number of close contacts low, especially during the holiday period.”
New Brunswick now has 46 active cases with two individuals in hospital with one in intensive care.
