UPDATED: N.B. Moving To Level 3 Of COVID Winter Plan

New Brunswick will move to the most stringent level of its COVID-19 winter plan.

Premier Blaine Higgs said the province will enter Level 3 of the plan effective 11:59 p.m. on Friday, on the advice of Public Health.

Higgs said the move will remain in effect for 16 days, until 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 30.

“We previously identified the conditions that would necessitate moving to Level 3, and all of those conditions have now been met,” Higgs said during a news conference Thursday.

The move comes as active hospitalizations in the province surpass 100 — one of the criteria to consider stricter measures.

“Think of it as short-term pain for long-term gain,” Higgs said, adding the two-week requirement will ensure the regional health authorities can manage the hospital system.

Under Level 3 of the three-stage plan:

• Indoor and outdoor informal gatherings will be limited to your single-household bubble. A single-household bubble includes the people you live with. Where required, this can be extended to include: caregivers; a family member who needs support from someone within the household; or one other person who needs support (for example, someone who lives alone, or another family member).
• A single-household bubble may extend care to children from another household for the purposes of informal daycare or online education support. This must be the same household bubble for as long as Level 3 is in effect.
• Public gatherings are not permitted, and gyms, entertainment centres, spas and salons are not allowed to operate.
• Retail businesses will remain open with 50 per cent capacity and physical distancing. People are encouraged to use contactless curbside pickup or designate one person from their household to go shopping if possible to reduce contacts.
• Restaurants will only be able to offer drive-thru, takeout and delivery. No in-person dining will be permitted.
• Faith venues will only be able to hold outdoor, virtual or in-car religious services.
• Organized sports and all other organized activities are not allowed with people outside of a single-household bubble.
• Outdoor exercise or activities like skiing, skating or snowmobiling are permitted, as long as Public Health measures are followed and you are within your single-household bubble.

Public schools will also extend at-home learning by one week, meaning students will not return to in-class learning until Monday, Jan. 30.

More details about Level 3 of the winter plan can be found on the Government of New Brunswick’s website.

“Moving to Level 3 was never something I wanted to do and I really hate to take this next step,” said Higgs.

“We are taking steps to find a balance that enables us to provide the services that the public expects while keeping our health-care system from hitting a point where hard choices get made of who gets life-saving intervention because there are not enough resources available to deliver that care.”

Active hospitalizations surpass 100 for the first time

As of Thursday, there are 104 people in the hospital with COVID-19, including nine in intensive care. Of those currently hospitalized, 47 were admitted for reasons other than COVID-19.

The premier also noted that there are 386 medical staff who are isolating and have tested positive for the virus.

Modelling data released by the province earlier this week suggests New Brunswick could see a peak of 220 active hospitalizations in late January or early February if contacts were not reduced.

Dr. Jennifer Russell, the province’s chief medical officer of health, said that could be reduced to around 150 if everyone can reduce their contacts by 30 per cent over the next two weeks.

“This will still be challenging for our health-care system and for our health-care workers and those working tirelessly to manage this crisis, but it will be manageable,” said Russell.

“We are facing a critical situation and we need serious measures to address it. All New Brunswickers need to take this seriously and be diligent about following these new restrictions.”

New emergency long-term care beds

The Department of Social Development is working with long-term care home operators to create new emergency long-term care beds.

Higgs said the move, which will use vacant beds in long-term care facilities, is a short-term measure to help reduce pressure on the health-care system.

“These beds will provide alternate placement for patients that are waiting in hospital until a bed in their preferred long-term care location becomes available,” said Higgs.

According to the province, residents occupying emergency long-term care beds will remain on waitlists for the facility of their choice.

There are about 556 long-term care facilities in New Brunswick, including nursing homes, special care homes, memory care homes and community residences, with a total of 13,000 beds.

Support for impacted businesses

Higgs said cabinet has approved Opportunities New Brunswick to launch an enhanced Phase 3 of the New Brunswick Small Business Recovery Grant Program.

Eligible businesses can apply for a non-repayable grant of up to $10,000 — double the previous program — which applies to the reduction of sales incurred beginning December 2021.

Businesses can also access a one-time subsidy of up to $300 to help cover accounting costs incurred throughout the application process, said Higgs.

“We will expedite the assessment process and target a three-to-four-day turnaround so that businesses impacted will see immediate relief,” he said.

Higgs encouraged New Brunswickers to do what they can to support local businesses in the days ahead.

“Place curbside orders, order takeout from your favourite restaurants, and thank them for preserving during trying times,” he said.

Higgs said the province will do what is necessary to protect all New Brunswickers, adding life will become “increasingly difficult” for those who can get vaccinated but choose not to.

Four deaths, 304 new cases

Public Health reported four more deaths related to COVID-19 on Thursday, bringing the total number of deaths to 178.

It includes a person 90 and over in the Moncton region, a person in their 60s in the Fredericton region, and two people in the Edmundston region: a person in their 50s and a person in their 80s.

Officials also announced 304 new cases of the virus based on PCR testing. There were 745 more recoveries as the number of known active cases fell to 6,613.

The Moncton region recorded most of the new cases with 132, followed by the Saint John health zone with 59.

Additionally, there were 746 new positive rapid (point-of-care) test results submitted.

As of Thursday, 91 per cent of eligible residents had received one dose of a vaccine, 83.3 per cent received two doses, and 28.7 per cent had a booster dose.