COVID update: walk-in clinic Wednesday and second hospitalization in NB’s fourth wave
VACCINATIONS INCH ALONG
The vaccination effort in New Brunswick continues to inch along, with numbers on Tuesday showing 71.5% of eligible people having received two shots of a COVID-19 vaccine.
In Sackville, the number is higher, hitting 79% as of August 10. The percentage of eligible Sackvillians who have received at least one shot was 93% on August 10, while for the province as a whole it sits at 83.4% as of Tuesday.
(Note: While the province provided the vaccination rates for Sackville, it did not provide information on how the number was derived, and whether population figures used account for the Mount Allison student population or not.)
Sackville’s Corner Drug Store doing its part to increase those numbers. The pharmacy is hosting walk-in vaccination clinics offering the Pfizer vaccine this Wednesday August 18 and next Wednesday August 25, from 10am to 6:30pm.
PROVINCE STILL SHORT OF 75% DOUBLE SHOT GOAL
About 22,000 shots were administered province-wide in the past week. That’s almost double the number administered the previous week, but still well below the rates achieved in May, June and July.
New Brunswick has yet to reach the provincial goal of 75% of eligible people double vaccinated, which was the original trigger announced for the end of the province’s emergency order.… Continue
Tantramar Report: Cumberland NDP candidate Lauren Skabar, council agenda preview
Monday on Tantramar Report:
Bruce Wark continues his coverage of the candidates vying for the seat representing Cumberland North in the Nova Scotia legislature. Today, Wark talks with one of the youngest candidates in the election, NDP candidate Lauren Skabar.
A Sackville man charged with multiple assaults was back in a Moncton courtroom by video link on Thursday. Colt LeBlanc was scheduled to plea on charges of assaulting a police officer, but his lawyer, Michel Des Neiges told the court that full disclosure had not been received from the crown on the case. LeBlanc will be back to enter a plea on September 9.
Sackville town council meets tonight for their regular monthly council meeting. Council will start off in camera at 6:15 to discuss a human resources item, and then at 7pm, the public meeting is scheduled to begin. A number of motions will be up for consideration, including a possibly contentious first reading of amendments to the town’s Street Traffic By-law that would permit skateboards on public streets.
The town’s public works department is warning of vehicle traffic delays along Main Street by the Booster Pump beginning today and extending all week to Friday. The town says they are “performing much needed repair to a culvert in and around 197 Main Street.” The area will be open to through traffic, but there could be delays.
The Moncton region now has 56 active cases of COVID-19, though still no hospitalizations. … Continue
Tantramar Report: Bill Casey makes his case for Cumberland North, town council to discuss skateboards and rink subsidies tonight
On Tuesday’s Tantramar Report:
Journalist Bruce Wark brings us another instalment of his coverage of the Nova Scotia election as seen from Cumberland county. This time Wark speaks with former MP and Liberal candidate Bill Casey.
The town of Sackville meets tonight for a discussion meeting covering a number of topics first brought up before the last election. Skateboards on town streets and rink subsidies for the Civic Centre are both on the agenda. Up to 20 members of the public are invited to join the meeting in person and people can also participate online.
New Brunswick has 37 active cases of COVID-19, with 24 of those in Zone 1. Those numbers are as of Sunday, when the province announced 18 new cases, all but one of which was in Zone 1. When asked about the spike in cases as the provincial public health order ends, Premier Blaine Higgs said he felt the rewards outweighed the risks.
The Sackville Food Bank is looking for help packing lunches for a Tantramar High School transition camp, a special week of activities for at-risk students making the move from middle school to high school this September.
The Joggins Fossil Institute is looking for visual and performing artists who want to “explore the myriad relationships between the human experience and the natural world,” as part of their 2022 Artscape Artist-in-Residence program. … Continue
As COVID restrictions end July 30, Higgs expects little reaction from Atlantic provinces
Public health restrictions to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 in New Brunswick will come to an end on Friday, July 30 at midnight, the premier announced on Friday afternoon.
The mandatory order imposing things such as border controls, mask wearing and reduced capacities for gatherings and businesses will not be renewed when it expires next week, Higgs told a news conference.
“Today is the day we’ve all been looking forward to,” said Higgs, “and I’m sure it’s one that I will always remember.”
Originally, the province’s recovery plan set August 2 as the planned date for lifting the mandatory order, as long as 75% of eligible New Brunswickers had received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine by then. As of Friday, July 23, just 62.75% of eligible people have received two shots in New Brunswick. Another 84,000 people need to receive a second shot before that original target is hit, which is likely more than a week away, going by past rates of vaccination. Higgs said Friday he feels that the number of double vaccinated people by July 30 will be enough to mitigate the risks.
“By the end of next week, the percentage of eligible New Brunswickers vaccinated with a second dose will be sufficient to balance out many of the current risks of living with COVID-19,” said Higgs, “while we continue to strive to immunize as many New Brunswickers as possible.”
“The case to maintain a mandatory emergency order no longer exists,” said the premier.… Continue
COVID update: 2 new cases in NB, 66k new doses administered in past week
Just over 66,000 doses of a COVID 19 vaccine were administered in New Brunswick in the past week. It was the second busiest week for the vaccine rollout so far.
The lion’s share, about 55,000, were second doses, and about 11,000 were first doses.
The province also received a supply of nearly 110,000 additional doses of vaccine this week.
Nearly 68% of the New Brunswick population now has at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Nearly 17% of the full population have received two doses.
The next goal in the province’s path to green plan, which promises an end to all public health restrictions, is to get to 75% of eligible New Brunswickers having had two shots. As of Sunday, the province is at 18.75% of those aged 12 and over having had two shots.
VACCINATION STATS:
- At least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine
- 528,815 people
- 67.7% of the population
- 76.3% of the population 12 and over
- Two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine:
- 129,971 people
- 16.6% of the population
- 18.75% of the population 12 and over
COVID CASE UPDATE:
There were two new case of COVID-19 in the province reported Sunday. Both are in the Fredericton region and have been traced to previous cases. There are now 56 active cases of COVID-19 in New Brunswick.
Zone one has just 3 active cases of COVID-19.
In Nova Scotia, there were two new cases of COVID-19 reported on Sunday, and the total number of active cases in that province is 83.… Continue
Second dose eligibility opens up as Vitalité foregoes Sackville clinics until July 14
As of Monday, anyone who received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine before May 1 can book an appointment for their second dose. That means 30% of the population are now eligible for a second shot, or roughly 270,000 people.
The province also announced today that as of next Monday June 21, eligibility will open to anyone who has had their shot at least 28 days prior, so starting at those who received a dose on or before May 24, and moving forward from there.
The new eligibility means that the hundreds of people who got their first shot at Vitalité clinics in Sackville starting on April 10 will now be able to book their booster appointment online. But they won’t be able to book an appointment in Sackville for the next month, because Vitalité has decided not to offer further clinics at the Tantramar Civic Centre until July 14.
The decision was made due to a lack of demand for vaccinations for the clinic, says Vitalité spokesperson Thomas Lizotte.
“Our community clinics are set up according to supply and demand,” wrote Lizotte by email last week. Clinics at the civic centre could theoretically take up to 560 appointments, but Lizotte says in half of the clinics offered in Sackville, the health authority was not able to book more than 275 appointments.
Lizotte said last week that Vitalité had no more clinics planned in the Tantramar area, “but we would be open to do so provided there is a demand.”… Continue
COVID Update: NB close to 75%, second dose rollout ramping up, 7 new cases
New Brunswick will likely reach its goal of 75% of the eligible population with a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine today.
As of Sunday’s reported numbers, just 2,485 more people need to receive their first dose in order to hit the 75% target.
75% of the population aged 12 and over is roughly equal to 66% of the estimated current population of all New Brunswickers.
The first stage of the Path to Green now includes the lifting of isolation requirements for those travelling from Cumberland County into New Brunswick. Nova Scotia has not yet announced a similar move, so the trip into Cumberland County still triggers two weeks of isolation in that province.
AS FIRST DOSES SLOW DOWN, SECOND DOSES RAMP UP
It’s been a busy week in the province’s vaccine rollout. Over 68,000 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine were administered in the province since last Sunday. That’s the highest weekly number since the rollout began.
But only about 39,000 of those were first doses.
After limping along at a few thousand doses per week, the second dose rollout is picking up steam, with about 29,000 people getting a second dose in the past week.
Just over 75,000 people have their second dose of a vaccine so far. That’s 9.6% of the full population, and 10.8% of the 12 and over population.
The province has set a goal of at least 20% of those aged 12 and older with a second shot by July 2, in order to reach the second phase of its Path to Green plan, which includes lifting border restrictions with all of Nova Scotia.… Continue
COVID Update: Higgs optimistic that NS border could be included in delayed first phase of reopening; second dose eligibility opens up; one new case
There was just one new case of COVID-19 in the province on Monday. The case was in the Fredericton region and traced to a previous case.
The active case count in the province dropped to 111, with three of those in people isolating outside the province.
Zone 1 had no new cases reported Monday, and has 40 active cases of COVID-19.
Testing was low again on Sunday, with just 864 tests conducted. Just under half of those were in Zone 1.
ATLANTIC CANADA & CUMBERLAND
In Nova Scotia, there were 14 new cases of COVID-19 reported on Sunday, and the total number of active cases in that province dropped to 182. The Cumberland Health Network had no new cases for the fourth day in a row. There are currently 3 active cases in Cumberland.
PEI has reported no new cases since last Thursday, and has 6 active cases of COVID-19.
Newfoundland and Labrador reported 2 new cases on Monday… all traced to travel. That province now has 70 active cases of COVID-19.
FIRST PHASE OF ‘PATH TO GREEN’ 4-5 DAYS OUT
In a news conference Monday afternoon, Chief Medical Officer of Health Jennifer Russell and Premier Blaine Higgs announced that the first phase of the province’s Path to Green plan will not come into effect until the province hits its target of 75% of eligible people vaccinated with at least one dose.… Continue
COVID Update: 12 new cases Wednesday, NACI okays mixing shots, Russell says “Get ‘er done”
Province-wide there were 12 new cases announced Wednesday. Three of those were in Zone 1, all contacts of previous cases. The Saint John and Bathurst regions reported cases that have all been traces to travel or previous contacts. Three cases in the Fredericton region are still under investigation.
New Brunswick now has 140 active cases of COVID-19, with six of those in people isolating outside the province.
Tuesday was a busy testing day in New Brunswick, with 2500 tests conducted. 673 of those were in Zone 1.
ATLANTIC CANADA & CUMBERLAND
In Nova Scotia, there were 17 new cases of COVID-19 reported on Wednesday, and the total number of active cases in that province dropped to 311. One new case was reported in the Cumberland Health Network, and there are currently 7 active cases in Cumberland.
PEI has reported no new cases since Monday. The island province now has 4 active cases of COVID-19.
Newfoundland and Labrador reported a whopping 17 new cases on Wednesday. Luckily all were traced to either travel or previous cases. That province now has 90 active cases of COVID-19.
VACCINATIONS: GET ‘ER DONE SAYS RUSSELL
Health Minister Dorothy Shephard and Chief Medical Officer of Health Jennifer Russell pleaded on Wednesday with New Brunswickers who haven’t yet gotten a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, asking them to do so.… Continue
COVID Update: another 5 new cases in Zone 1, second dose questions answered
For the third day in a row, there were 5 new cases of COVID-19 reported in Zone 1. Three of the new cases are related to previous cases, but two remain under investigation. The active case count in Zone 1 is now 40, the highest it has been since early February, at the end of the last red phase of restrictions for Zone 1.
There was further bad news in the rest of the province. Five new cases have been reported in the Fredericton region, with two under investigation. And two new cases are in the Bathurst region, both under investigation.
Province wide, there are 146 active cases of COVID-19.
Just 655 tests were conducted in the province on Sunday, with 318 of those happening in Zone 1.
ATLANTIC CANADA & CUMBERLAND
In Nova Scotia, there were 17 new cases of COVID-19 reported on Monday, and the total number of active cases in that province dropped to 448. There were no new cases reported in the Cumberland Health Network, and there are currently 8 active cases in Cumberland.
PEI reported two new cases on Monday, both related to travel outside of Atlantic Canada. The island province now has 10 active cases of COVID-19.
Newfoundland and Labrador also announced 2 new cases Monday. That province now has 101 active cases of COVID-19.
PRESSURE ON FOR FIRST DOSES
The province is encouraging New Brunswickers, and anyone who has been living in the province for at least four weeks, to make an appointment for a COVID-19 vaccine.… Continue