Another spike in COVID-19 cases in New Brunswick with 111 new infections reported today along with 82 recoveries.
The Fredericton area continues to have the most cases of any health zone provincewide with 61 while the Saint John region has 23 and the Moncton area has eight.
Public Health says 18 people in intensive care and another 25 are in hospital for a total of 43 people hospitalized.
Of those in hospital, 25 are over age 60, one is under age 19 and 11 people are on a ventilator.
Hospitalizations continue to trend downwards from a week ago, while the number of cases in intensive care units remains stable.
Breakdown of new cases
The eight new cases in Zone 1 (Moncton region) are as follows:
- three people nine and under;
- two people 10-19;
- a person 50-59; and
- two people 60-69.
Six cases are under investigation and two are contacts of previously known cases.
The 23 new cases in Zone 2 (Saint John region) are as follows;
- three people nine and under;
- four people 10-19;
- a person 20-29;
- five people 30-39;
- four people 40-49;
- a person 50-59;
- three people 60-69;
- a person 70-79; and
- a person 80-89.
Thirteen cases are under investigation and 10 cases are contacts of previously known cases.
The 61 new cases in Zone 3 (Fredericton region) are as follows:
- 17 people nine and under;
- 13 people 10-19;
- five people 20-29;
- nine people 30-39;
- 10 people 40-49;
- three people 50-59;
- two people 60-69; and
- two people 70-79.
Fifty-three cases are under investigation and eight are contacts of previously known cases.
The two new cases in Zone 4 (Edmundston region) are as follows:
- a person nine and under; and
- a person 10-19.
Both cases are under investigation.
The one new case in Zone 6 (Bathurst region) is a person 60-69. The case is a contact of a previously known case.
The 16 new cases in Zone 7 (Miramichi region) are as follows:
- five people nine and under;
- a person 10-19;
- a person 20-29;
- four people 40-49;
- two people 60-69;
- two people 70-79; and
- a person 80-89.
Twelve cases are contacts of previously known cases and four cases are under investigation.
Additional information is available on the COVID-19 dashboard.
The active number of cases is now 781.
Schools and child care facilities
Public Health has confirmed ten cases of COVID-19 in schools and child care facilities today in zones 1, 2 and 3 with the majority in the Moncton region.
Six schools across the province have operational days today which means either all the students or specific groups are learning from home.
About 80 per cent of active cases within schools are in elementary schools and often the virus was transmitted outside of the school setting or in instances when safety measures were not followed.
Vaccination status
Public Health reported 82.1 per cent of eligible New Brunswickers are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and 87.8 per cent have received their first dose.
Since appointments opened on November 26, 10,544 first doses of the pediatric COVID-19 vaccine have been administered to children aged five to 11.
The rate of new cases is 6.2 per 100,000 for the fully vaccinated, 2.4 per 100,000 for the partially vaccinated, and 24.2 per 100,000 for the unvaccinated.
Of those currently in hospital, the rate is 3.1 per 100,000 for the fully vaccinated, 7.2 per 100,000 for the partially vaccinated, and 20.2 per 100,000 for the unvaccinated.
Among those in the ICU, the rates are 0.8 per 100,000 for the fully vaccinated, 2.4 per 100,000 for the partially vaccinated, and 9.7 per 100,000 for the unvaccinated.
Booster shots
More booster dose clinics have been added provincewide and those who are eligible can schedule an appointment through the online booking system or at a participating pharmacy.
If you are 50 or older and due for a booster dose of an mRNA vaccine at any time in December, you can book an appointment now even though a full six months may not have passed.
In the coming weeks, eligibility for booster doses will be expanded to those in their 40s, and then to all other New Brunswickers.
