Sackville is in one of the “hot zones” designated by Premier Blaine Higgs on Tuesday for a “circuit breaker” of increased public health measures to help end the rapid transmission of COVID-19 experienced in the past month.
Starting Friday at 6pm, residents in parts of Zones 1, 3, and 4, will return to single household bubbles, with flexibility for caregivers and single family members in need of support.
No private indoor or outdoor gatherings will be permitted, but people will be able to attend “businesses, entertainment centres and events,” where mask and vaccine mandates are in force.
Most non-essential travel in and out of “circuit breaker” zones will be restricted, but the province is making an exception for “travel to events where proof of vaccination is required.”
Schools will remain open unless specifically closed by public health. Currently five schools in this district, including Tantramar High and Port Elgin Regional School, are in distance learning mode. Tantramar is due to go back to in person learning tomorrow, but Port Elgin will remain on distance learning for the rest of the week.
The circuit breaker means school sports and extracurricular activities will be paused for those under 12, and no spectators will be permitted at school sports or activities for older kids.
Perhaps the biggest news on the school front is the decision to use rapid tests to help kids who are identified as close contacts get back to school more quickly.
Starting October 12, if an unvaccinated student is identified as a contact, their family will receive a five or ten day supply of rapid tests to use on a daily basis. After 24 hours of isolation and two consecutive negative rapid tests, the child will be able to return to school, while still completing the remaining daily tests.
REVISED AND UPDATED (3:30pm): Vaccinated kids who have been identified as contacts and have at least one symptom will be required to get a negative lab or PCR test result in order to return to school. Lab tests have higher diagnostic accuracy, but a slower turnaround time. The Department of Education has confirmed that rapid tests will be NOT be made available to vaccinated students.
The Department of Education is also promising better sharing of information on school outbreaks through a dedicated online dashboard to be launched in the coming days.
UNPRECEDENTED DEATHS AND HOSPITALIZATIONS
The new measures outlined Tuedsay came after more bad news in terms of deaths, hospitalizations, and case counts. Chief Medical Office of Health Jennifer Russell noted there had been 13 deaths in the province since the previous news conference, held just one week ago.
“We have seen an unprecedented number of deaths, hospitalizations, and ICU admissions over the last month,” said Russell on Tuesday. ”More than at any time since the pandemic began.”
90 new cases were reported on Tuesday, with half of those in the Moncton region, and a third of them in people under 19 years of age. As of Tuesday there are 50 people in hospital, with 23 in an intensive care unit. Out of the 50 in hospital, seven people are fully vaccinated, two have had one dose of a vaccine, and 41 are completely unvaccinated.
“Everyone now in hospital with COVID-19, whether old or young, are fighting for their lives,” said Russell. “And our doctors, nurses and other health professionals are doing all they can to help them win that fight.”
Russell said on Tuesday that if the current province-wide outbreak continues to accelerate, we could see more than a hundred people in hospital before long.
“The growing caseload of COVID-19 patients is straining our system,” said Russell. “The Regional Health Authorities have been working together to try to manage this but it is really at the point where things are extremely, extremely stretched. And if we don’t arrest the current spread of the virus, we will be facing more issues in our health system and the people it cares for.”
Russell put in a plea for people to get themselves vaccinated, but acknowledged there may be a minority who continue to refuse.
“I know there are some New Brunswickers who will not be getting vaccinated for various reasons,” said Russell. “And I understand that this is a minority in our province and will not likely be swayed by arguments that I make, or evidence that I present. Nor will they necessarily be convinced by pleading of friends of family who care about them.”
“I still hope that everyone who can do so will choose to get vaccinated,” said Russell. “Please talk to your pharmacist, your family physician, your nurse practitioner or healthcare worker. But if you choose to remain unvaccinated, this is my advice: please protect yourself.”
The Corner Drug Store is continuing the local vaccination rollout in Sackville today and tomorrow with walk-in appointments for the Pfizer vaccine. People can head in anytime between 10am and 6pm on Wednesday and Thursday.
MANDATORY VACCINATIONS FOR SOME WORKERS
Another part of increased measures announced Tuesday will be mandatory vaccinations for provincial workers in the civil service, health care, education and crown corporations, as well as long term care and child care workers.
Vaccination will become a requirement for those positions, and people in those jobs without full vaccination or a medical exemption by November 19 will be sent home without pay, says the province.
