NO NEW CASES, TRAVEL-RELATED CASES SPREADING DUE TO IMPROPER SELF-ISOLATION
For the first time since March 13th, New Brunswick has no new cases of COVID-19 to report.
Dr. Russell announced the good news yesterday during a COVID-19 press conference, but was quick to add that New Brunswick still needs to remain vigilant.
“We never know where and when the next surge of cases are going to appear in the province, and we must protect everyone and be prepared for those surges,” says Dr. Russell.
There are still 139 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, 17 of which are in Zone 1 (Moncton region).
According to Dr. Russell, there have been many recent instances where people fail to self-isolate properly. That failure, she says, has resulted in more spread.
“We can see infections appearing in family members or household members if there’s a person who traveled outside the province if they didn’t self isolate properly,” says Dr. Russell. “Prior to the strains that we’re seeing right now, there’s a certain level of safety and security around self-isolation happening in your household with other people there and having a separate bathroom etc. But these new infections, these new strains, are so much more contagious that it’s very difficult to safely self-isolate in the same household with other people.”
“We are seeing the spread of the new variants from travel outside New Brunswick. What that means is that travel is riskier now than any other time during the pandemic. If you are going to travel, you must be prepared to properly self-isolate away from your loved ones for an entire two week period, regardless of if you tested negative when you were at an airport or at a location before you arrived in New Brunswick.”
NEW VACCINE ELIGIBILITY, ASTRAZENECA-RELATED BLOOD CLOT REPORTED
She also reported that a person aged 30 to 39 developed blood clots after receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine in mid-March.
The person received the vaccine before the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) recommended the AstraZeneca not be administered to those under 55.
They have since recovered from the side effect, otherwise known as vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT).
New Brunswick will still offer the AstraZeneca to anyone over 55 years old, Dr. Russell still encourages all New Brunswickers over 55 to get the AstraZeneca vaccine.
“These reactions are extremely rare,” says Dr. Russell. “We see them in approximately one in every 100,000 to 250,000 doses, but they do happen and they are treatable…While every adverse reaction is unfortunate, it is important to keep in mind how rare these incidents are. I would like to highlight the benefit of this vaccine and all vaccines in terms of providing protection against the much higher risks that come with COVID-19 infection, and indeed blood clots as a result of COVID-19 infections. The AstraZeneca vaccine remains a good choice for people who are at risk of severe outcomes from COVID-19 and would otherwise have to wait several months to access another vaccine. This is especially true as we see variants of concerns such as the UK variant and the South African variants circulating now, which have much more aggressive symptoms and severe outcomes.”
Speaking of vaccines, Minister Dorothy Shephard announced that New Brunswickers aged 65 and older are now eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine.
Those 65+, or those who care for them, can make an appointment at their local (or not-so-local) pharmacy or at an RHA clinic.
To encourage truckers to get the shot, the province has opened a phone line specifically for them to make an appointment. Truck drivers may call 1-833-724-0088 to book an appointment.
BORDER WOES, MAY 3RD BUBBLE UNLIKELY
CHMA asked Minister Shephard to address the protest that happened over the weekend at the NB-NS border, specifically those separated from families and support services.
“COVID has been a very difficult time,” says Shephard. “Whether that service is 10 minutes away, or one hour away, we have Public Health guidelines that are put in place to keep New Brunswick are safe. Our border measures have served us very well over this last year. With the variant, it is even more so. I’ve commented not only my colleagues, but to people in the public, that this last stretch is probably the hardest we’ve ever gone through because we see that light at the end of the tunnel. We see how close we are, but we’re also extremely vulnerable. You can look across Canada to see how this third wave easily gets out of control. The measures are in place for a reason.”
As for the Atlantic Bubble, Shephard says, “There is some consideration of choosing a date further out, but the the date has not yet been decided.”
This was just moments before Nova Scotia shut its borders to all non-essential travelers, except those from Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland.
RETIRED HEALTHCARE WORKERS ASKED TO HELP ONTARIO
As Ontario battles the third wave of COVID-19, the province’s healthcare system is operating beyond its capacity.
As a result, Premier Ford requested aid from other Canadian provinces, but Minister Shephard says New Brunswick has no healthcare workers to spare.
Instead, she requested that any retired healthcare workers, or those who work outside of the healthcare system, to suit up and head to Ontario’s COVID-19 wings.
“Ontario is in need of nurses, respiratory therapists, perfusionists and anesthesia assistance,” says Shephard. “While New Brunswick does not have the available resources within the Regional Health Authorities, any healthcare workers who are retired or working outside of the healthcare system are being encouraged to assist. The federal government will cover all expenses involved, including salary, travel, and accommodations.”
Email NBHEOC@gnb.ca or call 506-444-2882 during business hours or 506-461-2880 after hours for more information.
RELATED:
