New Brunswick announced three more COVID-19 deaths on Tuesday as the number of people in the hospital continues to climb.
Public Health said one person in their 70s in the Moncton zone and two people in their 80s in the Saint John zone have died, bringing the total number of deaths to 165.
Health officials reported 746 new cases of the virus and 73 recoveries. There are 351 cases in the Saint John zone, 166 in the Moncton region, and 90 in the Fredericton area.
There are also 52 cases in the Miramichi region, 44 cases in the Edmundston zone, 37 in the Bathurst area, and six in the Campbellton region.
Fifty-six people are in the hospital, an increase of five from Monday. There are 16 people in intensive care, down from 17 on Monday. Eleven of those patients are on a ventilator.
New Brunswick has 6,112 active cases of COVID-19. The Saint John zone has 2,575 active cases while the Moncton zone has 1,841 active cases.
The province said 571 health care workers around the province are isolating at home due to COVID-19.
Of those currently off work, 460 are from the Horizon Health Network, 70 are Vitalité Health Network staff, and 41 are from Extra-Mural/Ambulance New Brunswick.
The rate of new cases is 96.5 per 100,000 for the fully vaccinated, 88.3 per 100,000 for the partially vaccinated, and 93 per 100,000 for the unvaccinated.
Of those currently in hospital, the rate is 4.5 per 100,000 for the fully vaccinated, 0 per 100,000 for the partially vaccinated, and 27.1 per 100,000 for the unvaccinated.
Among those in the ICU, the rates are 0.3 per 100,000 for the fully vaccinated, 0 per 100,000 for the partially vaccinated, and 13.6 per 100,000 for the unvaccinated.
Immunocompromised people and those in other high-priority groups are being urged to protect themselves from the Omicron variant by getting their COVID-19 booster and following public health advice.
“Our high-priority groups are at the greatest risk of serious illness due to COVID-19,” said Dr. Jennifer Russell, chief medical officer of health. “The best way to prevent serious illness is to follow public health guidance and get your COVID-19 booster shot.”
Eighty-three per cent of eligible New Brunswickers are fully vaccinated, 90.3 per cent have had a first dose, and 21.3 per cent have had a booster dose.
More than 570 health-care workers isolating / immunocompromised and other high priority groups urged to protect themselves from the Omicron varianthttps://t.co/pEZqwnRlFg pic.twitter.com/ioFtQhi5Ik
— Government of NB (@Gov_NB) January 4, 2022
New measures begin tonight
At 11:59 p.m. on Jan. 4, new provincial measures begin where the province will reserve PCR tests for people who are at the highest risk of being hospitalized with COVID-19.
This involves those in areas at highest risk, including health-care workers and those who live or work in long-term care facilities, homeless shelters and correctional facilities, people with symptoms who are 50 and older, people who are symptomatic and immunocompromised or pregnant, those who require a PCR test travel and anyone identified as a priority by Public Health.
Those who are symptomatic but under the age of 50 and do not live in a vulnerable setting, are asked to take rapid tests when symptomatic.
With the new measures, a positive rapid test will be treated as a positive result for COVID-19 and people will be asked to register their results through a new form that will be available online.
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