There are two new cases of COVID-19 in the province, both related to a recent outbreak in the Campbellton region.
There are now 15 active cases of COVID-19, all in Zone 5, which has been returned to the orange phase of recovery while restrictions remain eased in the rest of the province.
The new cases are an individual between 40 and 49 years of age, and an individual between 60 and 69 years of age.
A provincial press release said one of the two new cases is linked to a close contact of a previously identified case, and the other one is linked to Manoir de la Vallée, a long-term care facility in Atholville.
Social Development Minister Dorothy Shephard said in total, the facility has three staff and five residents test positive.
There are five people in hospital and one in the intensive care unit, the release said.
Three of the hospitalized people are residents of the long-term care home, Shephard said, including the ICU patient.
“To the best of my knowledge I can tell you that [their condition] is stable,” Shephard said.
All of the cases are isolated in the memory care wing of the facility, Shephard said.
“This memory care wing would have doors, like locked doors,” shes said. “We can’t say 100 per cent that a patient doesn’t wander in some fashion but it’s very much minimized.”
She said all the rooms are private, but residents do share a bathroom.
“A cleaning crew has been brought on to support staff in washing down washrooms three times a day at a minimum,” she said.
Two of the positive residents are still in the wing in Atholville she said, and the staff members are isolating in their homes.
She said administrators are in contact with family members on a daily basis. She said she’s sure residents and families are worried.
“But I’m sure that staff is doing everything they can to give them assurances that every precaution is being taken to protect them.”
The release said a Quebec resident has also tested positive, and is also linked to the facility, but the case will be counted as part of Quebec’s statistics.
Public Health has previously linked the outbreak to a doctor who travelled to Quebec and didn’t self-isolate for the mandatory 14 days when he returned.
The province has conducted 31,791 tests in total, including 1,125 in the last 24 hours.
What to do if you have symptoms?
The province says if you or a member of your family are showing two of the following symptoms, contact Tele-Care 811 or your primary health-care provider:
- Fever above 38°C or signs of fever (such as chills).
- A new cough or worsening chronic cough.
- Sore throat.
- Runny nose.
- Headache.
- A new onset of fatigue.
- A new onset of muscle pain.
- Diarrhea.
- Loss of sense of taste or loss of sense of smell.
- In children, purple markings on the fingers or toes. In this instance, testing will be done even if none of the other symptoms are present.
