New Brunswick's chief medical officer of heatlh, Dr. Jennifer Russell. (video capture from YouTube)
Public Health is reporting Edmundston and surrounding communities will move to the Red phase for at least four days.
It’s considered a “circuit breaker” to reduce the rapid spread of COVID-19 cases.
It applies to Edmundston and Upper Madawaska and people are asked to avoid travelling in this area.
There are 24 new cases in Zone 4.
Grand-Sault, Saint-Quentin and Kedgwick areas will remain yellow. This measure goes into effect at 6 p.m. tonight.
These measures (and areas) may expand depending on the need to limit the spread of COVID-19.
Dr. Jennifer Russell, chief medical officer of health, appealed directly to the residents of Zone 4 to reduce their close contacts and to follow public health measures.
“I know this a further hardship for the residents of the Edmundston area who have already been through our most stringent measures including a full lockdown that happened in the last three months,” Shephard said.
The U.K. variant has been identified for 62 per cent of the cases in Zone 4. Residents are asked if they have any symptoms, to not attend the mass testing sites, but to call 811 to book an appointment. Mass testing sites are for those without symptoms, no appointment is needed.
A total of 30 cases were announced on Thursday with five in the Saint John region and one in the Bathurst zone.
The five cases in Zone 2 (Saint John region) are travel-related. The one case in Zone 6 (Bathurst region) is under investigation. The 24 cases for Zone 4 include 14 travel-related, 9 are contacts of a previous case, one is under investigation.
There was one case of a false positive in Zone 1 which was removed from the confirmed list of cases. Public Health is working on determining the cause.
People 40 and over with three or more chronic conditions may begin booking vaccination appointments for April.
There is a confirmed case at École Régionale Saint-Basile. Staff and students and their families have been asked to self-isolate and the school itself is closed for contact tracing and cleaning on Thursday and Friday.
A potential public exposure to COVID-19 was reported at the Dollarama on 15 Mowin Street on March 21 and 22 in Edmundston.
Vaccination clinics in the Tracadie and Moncton areas are now being offered for school staff beginning Friday, March 26.
More vaccination clinics will be coming for staff in elementary and middle schools, including bus drivers, and for early childhood service providers and child-care staff.
