HIGH SCHOOLS WILL NOT REOPEN ON MONDAY
Health Minister Dorothy Shephard announced that all high schools in New Brunswick will not reopen for full-time, in-person learning this Monday as scheduled.
Shephard says the decision was made “out of an abundance of caution [and] to allow more time to conduct contact tracing and ensure outbreaks, particularly those involving the variants, are under control.”
The decision will be revisited the week of April 26th.
ONE MORE DEATH, 19 NEW CASES, COMMUNITY TRANSMISSION
Dr. Russell announced the death of another New Brunswicker due to COVID-19 Saturday. The person was in their 70s and from Zone 4, the Edmundston region. This marks the 33rd death due to COVID-19 in New Brunswick, and the third person in Zone 4 to succumb to the disease just this week. On Friday, the province announced the death of someone in their 60s, and on Tuesday, a 38-year old man from Saint-Basile died, the youngest person to die from COVID-19 in New Brunswick
The province announced 19 new cases on Saturday, 15 of which are in the Edmundston region. Zone 1 reported just one new case, bringing the active total cases in the region to 16.
Zone 2 (the Saint John region) also has one new case, and Zone 3 (the Fredericton region) has two new cases.
The Edmunston and Upper Madawaska region of Zone 4 will go into full lockdown as of midnight tonight. People are being asked to remain in household bubbles, and schools are moving to online learning only. The rest of Zone 4 will remain in its current phase of COVID-19 recovery.
Dr. Russell says that Zone 4 has as many as 16 cases of community transmission, which means that Public Health could not trace the infection to an existing confirmed case.
“THESE NEW VARIANTS ARE HERE WITH US TO STAY” SAYS DR. RUSSELL
Dr. Russell says that from this point forward, all new cases of COVID-19 (including the ones announced today) will be assumed as a variant, and that “we must now assume that these new variants are here with us to stay.”
“This is no longer business as usual,” says Russell. “I can tell you that the COVID-19 virus is adapting and taking advantage wherever it can. It won’t discriminate between young and old. It doesn’t care where you live, or what you do for a living.”
Dr. Russell says that the spread of the COVID-19 variants can be slowed, “but only if everyone strictly adheres to Public Health guidance and advice. “
Vaccination clinics will continue through the lockdown, and Dr. Russell says that if you have an appointment “please go to it and get vaccinated.”
Vaccinations, says Dr. Russell, “will help reduce the severity of the illness and potentially the spread of the virus.” She reminded those who have received one (or even two) dose(s) that it is still possible for them to contract and spread the virus, so they still need to adhere to public health guidelines.
Dr. Russell confirmed that three patients currently in the hospital had been vaccinated, and only one of them with two doses. She could not confirm if any of the people who recently passed away from COVID-19 had been vaccinated.
“Some of the people in the hospital right now have received one or two doses of the vaccine,” says Dr. Russell. “The vaccine protects against severe illness, and there will be very rare episodes of people needing hospitalization…For the most part it does protect against severe outcomes.”
The Edmunston Regional Hospital is still overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients, and Dr. Russell says that strain “is actually being felt in other zones as well” since patients are being transferred to other health zones.
