New Brunswick officials announced six new cases of COVID-19 in the province Monday, all linked to outbreaks in Moncton and Campbellton.
The new cases include three in the Moncton region (Zone 1) and three in the Campbellton region (Zone 5).
There are now 76 active cases of the coronavirus in the province. Five people are in the hospital, one of whom is in intensive care.
Dr. Jennifer Russell, the province’s chief medical officer, urged New Brunswickers to follow public health guidelines when returning to home and work after the holiday weekend.
“This is not really the Thanksgiving that we were hoping for or that we wanted,” she said.
The cases in the Campbellton region (Zone 5) bring that area to 32 active cases, while the Moncton region (Zone 1) now has 40 active cases. There are also two active cases in the Fredericton region (Zone 3), and two active cases in the Saint John region (Zone 2).
Public Health says all the new cases are self-isolating.
Both the Moncton region (Zone 1) and the Campbellton region (Zone 5) were forced back to the orange recovery phase on Friday.
That’s following an outbreak at the Manoir Notre-Dame special care home in Moncton, and a separate outbreak in the Campbellton region that remains under investigation.
The province announced 14 new cases of COVID-19 Sunday, all linked to the two outbreaks.
One of the new cases yesterday included the third confirmed at a school in the province, with the L.E. Reinsborough School in Dalhousie reporting a positive case.
New Brunswickers are advised to avoid all non-essential travel in and out of the orange zones.
The rise in cases has also prompted Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador to issue travel advisories for both regions of New Brunswick. Both provinces say they are closely monitoring the situation with the Atlantic travel bubble.
Russell said she appreciates the decision by New Brunswick to prevent travel in and out of the regions with outbreaks.
In response to multiple schools with a positive case, New Brunswick has rolled out tighter restrictions for schools in the orange regions.
Schools to briefly close
Education Minister Dominic Cardy said some students at Janeville Elementary School near Bathurst are self-isolating due to possible exposure to a positive case.
There are now three active cases at schools in the Campbellton region (Zone 5).
Sugarloaf Senior High School in Campbellton and two elementary schools in Dalhousie — Académie Notre-Dame and L.E. Reinsborough School — have each announced one case of COVID-19.
Cardy said students will not attend in-person classes Tuesday at the impacted schools.
Sugarload Senior High School will also be closed on Wednesday, as part of a prior decision to help students adjust to online learning.
Staff at the closed schools will use Tuesday to roll out response plans while students learn remotely from home.
Cardy said the goal is to keep schools open and warned against sharing misinformation.
“The way we can get through this is by making sure the information we share is accurate,” he said.
Mask use is now be required — both indoors and outdoors — for all students in grades K-12 at schools in the Campbellton and Moncton health regions.
Exceptions will be made for physical education, and while students are eating or working alone quietly at their desk. Those with medical reasons will also be exempt.
All school sports and extracurricular activities are now cancelled.
Orange phase restrictions
Masks are now mandatory in all indoor and outdoor public places in the orange zones, as part of tighter restrictions to stop the spread of COVID-19.
Public Health says those who already entered the Campbellton or Moncton regions for the holiday weekend should observe all orange-level requirements for 14 days after returning home.
Those guidelines include limiting contacts to a two-household bubble, avoiding gatherings, wearing a mask at all indoor and outdoor public places, and being vigilant in self-monitoring and getting tested if they develop symptoms.
Outdoor gatherings must be limited to 10 people or fewer, while some indoor events, including weddings, funerals and religious services, are permitted with 10 or fewer.
Close contact personal services including barbers, spas, and hairstylists have closed under orange level restrictions.
Gyms, fitness facilities and recreational centres, casinos, amusement centres, bingo halls, arcades, cinemas and large live performance venues are also closed.
Russell said the source of the outbreak in the Manoir Notre-Dame is “associated with travel,” while the source of the Campbellton cases is under investigation.
Public Health has found no indication of a link between the Moncton outbreak and 32 active cases in the Campbellton region, but contact tracing is ongoing. At least one case is travel-related.
There have been 278 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in New Brunswick since the start of the pandemic. There have been two deaths and 200 people have recovered.
