New Brunswick has seven new cases of COVID-19, all of which are categorized as travel-related or a close contact of someone else who has COVID-19.
One of those seven cases is in Zone 1 (Moncton region), and is a contact of a previous case. Another case is in Zone 3 (Fredericton region), and is travel-related. Five of the new cases are in Zone 4 (Edmundston region) are all contacts of previously reported cases.
One more person has recovered from the disease, and one person is in the hospital.
First responders, people aged 80 or over, and those with complex medical conditions are now eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
Specific medical conditions categorized as “complex” are listed here.
In more vaccine news, all residents of long-term care facilities have been vaccinated with at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine (excluding those who refused one).
Also starting today, the first dose of the vaccine will be available to all residents of Indigenous communities who are age 16 or older.
New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, PEI, and Newfoundland might be able to reopen their borders to one another in April.
The Atlantic Canadian premiers decided that should case numbers in all provinces remain low, and if Newfoundland continues to relax its restrictions, the Atlantic Bubble will reform on April 19th.
The bubble will also include Témiscouata, Avignon and Listiguj First Nation in Quebec, who will bubble with New Brunswick.
That is of course, depending on whether or not any province has an outbreak of COVID-19.
With the rising presence of the COVID-19 variants in neighbouring provinces, Dr. Russell says that vigilance is necessary to make the Atlantic Bubble happen.
“As tired as we all are of COVID-19, it is absolutely vital that everyone young and old alike remain vigilant and continue to take precautions to prevent the spread of the virus. If we let our guard down, we may see our hospitals and ICU facilities overwhelmed with new cases from these variants, as is now happening in Alberta and Saskatchewan,” cautioned Dr. Russell.
In the unfortunate event of the bubble collapsing, or not forming at all, rotational workers can still expect some relief from their isolation requirements starting next week.
That is, provided they receive the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
“As of March 26 at 11:59pm, neither rotational workers nor their families will need to self isolate if they have received their first dose of the vaccine and 14 days have passed. For the first for the time being, they will have to undergo testing on day five and on day 10 each time they return to New Brunswick. This will provide us with an extra layer of security without requiring them to self isolate,” explained health minister Dorothy Shephard. “We will have more details very soon about when rotational workers, as well as truck drivers and cross border commuters, will be eligible to be vaccinated in New Brunswick.”
The government did clarify that should a person who is a rotational worker chooses not to be vaccinated, they will still be required to self-isolate for 14 days.
Anyone who lives with that person will also have to self-isolate, and they will undergo mandatory day 10 testing.
