Ninety-nine new cases of COVID-19 were reported Thursday as the province began vaccinating children five to 11 years old to try to slow the spread of the virus.
In Fredericton, brothers Max and Luc Corman were the first to receive their first doses of the pediatric vaccine.
About 9,300 children have appointments booked to get vaccinated, Health Minister Dorothy Shephard told reporters at the legislature Friday morning.
“I am heartened that so many young New Brunswickers have received their first dose of vaccine and that even more have appointments to do so in the coming weeks,” Dr. Jennifer Russell, chief medical officer of health, said in a statement.
To meet the demand for vaccinations, new clinics have been added in the Moncton and Fredericton region, the province said.
More than 130 pharmacies will also take part in dispensing doses of the vaccine for children, receiving shipments between Dec. 2 and Dec. 8, the province added.
More information is expected soon on when appointments at the pharmacies will become available.
Horizon Health Network has declared COVID-19 outbreaks in two units of Saint John Regional Hospital. (CBC News file photo)
Outbreaks declared at Saint John Regional Hospital
COVID-19 outbreaks have been declared in two units at the Saint John Regional Hospital, Horizon Health Network said in a news release Friday evening.
Outbreaks were declared in the orthopedic surgery (3CS) and internal medicine (4CN) units after a patient on each unit tested positive for COVID-19, communications advisor Kris McDavid said in the release.
He noted Horizon has implemented “comprehensive infection prevention and control precautions” as well as contact tracing to protect the health of patients and staff.
“Patient and staff in affected units are being tested,” McDavid said. “So far, no further cases have been identified. Inpatients are being screened for COVID-19 symptoms … every 12 hours.”
There will be no patient admissions or transfers to and from these units during this time and the Designated Support Person (DSP) program will be temporarily suspended on these units.
Surgeries, labour and birth services, ambulatory care and professional services appointments will continue, McDavid said in the release.
787 active cases across province
Along with the 99 new cases of COVID on Friday, Public health reported 55 more recoveries, putting the province’s active case count at 787, up from 743.
Fifty-six people are in hospital with COVID-19, including 18 in intensive care, according to the daily news release.
The one person under 19 who has hospitalized because of COVID-19 Thursday is no longer in hospital.
A total of 87.8 per cent of New Brunswickers aged 12 or older are now fully vaccinated, up from 87.7 per cent, and 93.5 per cent have received their first dose, unchanged from the last update.
New Brunswick has had 8,087 confirmed cases of COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic, including 7,176 recoveries and 123 COVID-related deaths.
Moncton region still leading in new cases
(CBC News)
The new cases break down this way:
Moncton region, Zone 1 — 48 cases:
19 people 19 and under
Seven people 20 to 29
10 people 30 to 39
Three people 40 to 49
Five people 50 to 59
Two people 60 to 69
Two people 70 to 79
Thirty-one are under investigation and 17 are the contacts of previously confirmed cases.
Saint John region, Zone 2 — 23 cases:
Seven people 19 and under
Three people 20 to 29
Five people 30 to 39
Two people 40 to 49
Three people 50 to 59
Two people 60 to 69
A person 70 to 79
Twelve cases are the contacts of previously confirmed cases and 11 are under investigation.
Fredericton region, Zone 3 — 15 cases:
Three people 19 and under
Three people 20 to 29
A person 30 to 39
Four people 40 to 49
Three 50 to 59
A person 60 to 69
Eight cases are under investigation and seven are the contacts of previously confirmed cases.
Campbellton region, Zone 5 — two cases:
A person 20 to 29
A person 50 to 59
Both remain under investigation.
Bathurst region, Zone 6 — three cases:
A person 19 and under
A person 40 to 49
A person 50 to 59
Two cases are contacts of previously confirmed cases and one is travel-related.
Miramichi region, Zone 7 — eight cases:
Five people 19 and under
A person 30 to 39
Two people 50 to 59.
Two cases are contacts of previously confirmed cases and six are under investigation.
More cases at the Moncton Hospital
A total of 23 patients and five staff have tested positive for COVID-19 at the Moncton Hospital as of Friday, Health Minister Dorothy Shephard says.
“All the patients effected are being tested again today and staff will be tested early next week,” she said.
On Wednesday, the cases at the hospital totalled 20, including three in intensive care.
7 schools currently affected
Nine new cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed at seven schools, the COVID-19 dashboard shows.
Thirty-six schools are currently impacted.
Three schools joined the list Thursday, including Millerton Elementary and Junior High School in the Miramichi region, and Centennial School and Bayview School in the Saint John region.
The four other schools with active cases are Gretna Green School in the Miramichi region, École Le Sommet in the Monction region, Devon Middle School in the Frederiction region, and Forest Hills School in the Saint John region.
A total of 495 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed at 141 schools since the beginning of the school year.
A case has also been confirmed at the Boys & Girls Club of Saint John After School in the Saint John region.
New cases have also been confirmed at a several previously impacted facilities including Origins Natural Learning Centre in the Saint John region, Spring Roots Early Learning and Childcare Centre inthe Fredericton region, Northend Learning Center and Causerie Amicale in the Moncton region.
“If you or a family member have been in close contact with a case, you will be notified by Public Health or the facility for contact tracing,” Public Health said. “If you are not notified directly, you have not been identified as a close contact.”
A total of 90 early learning child-care centres have had confirmed cases of COVID-19 since Sept. 7
New public exposure notices
Public Health shared new public exposure notices on Friday:
Saint John region, Zone 2:
Nove. 23 between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. – Giant Tiger (100 Prince Edward St., Saint John)
Nov. 20 between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. – Brilliant Smoke Shop (122 Lansdowne Ave., Saint John)
Nov. 20 between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. – JJ’s Diner (216 Roachville Rd., Sussex)
Nov. 18 and 19 between 2 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. – Brilliant Smoke Shop (122 Lansdowne Ave., Saint John)
Nov. 13 between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. – Vito’s (324 Rothesay Ave., Saint John)
Acadie-Bathurst region, Zone 6:
Nov. 23 between 1:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. – Atlantic Superstore (3455 Main St., Tracadie-Sheila)
Nov. 14 between 6 p.m. and 9:15 p.m. – Knights of Columbus (4293 Beauregard St., Tracadie-Sheila
People who have not been fully vaccinated at least 14 days prior to a possible exposure and who have symptoms should get a COVID lab test. They can book an appointment online or call Tele-Care 811 and must isolate while waiting for their test result.
People who are not fully vaccinated and do not have symptoms are now being instructed to pick up an At-Home COVID-19 Rapid Point of Care Test (Rapid POCT) screening kit. They do not need to isolate if they have not been directed by Public Health to do so.
All positive point-of-care test results must be confirmed with a laboratory polymerase chain reaction, or PCR, test.
It can take up to 14 days to test positive after being exposed to COVID-19, so even if results come back negative, people should continue to self-monitor for any symptoms and get tested immediately if any develop.
They should also avoid visiting settings with vulnerable populations, such as nursing homes, correctional facilities and shelters during that 14-day period.
For people who have been fully vaccinated at least 14 days prior to a possible exposure, Public Health recommends they monitor for symptoms for 14 days after the possible exposure and get a COVID lab test if symptoms develop.
They do not need to isolate while they wait for their test results.
If they do not have symptoms, they can pick up a rapid test kit and do not need to isolate.
Public Health says symptoms of the illness have included a fever above 38 C, a new or worsening cough, sore throat, runny nose, headache, a new onset of fatigue, and difficulty breathing.
In children, symptoms have also included purple markings on the fingers and toes.
People with one of those symptoms should stay at home, call 811 or their doctor and follow instructions.
Netflix on Thursday reported that its subscriber growth slowed dramatically during the summer, a sign the huge gains from the video-streaming service’s crackdown on freeloading viewers is tapering off.
The 5.1 million subscribers that Netflix added during the July-September period represented a 42% decline from the total gained during the same time last year. Even so, the company’s revenue and profit rose at a faster pace than analysts had projected, according to FactSet Research.
Netflix ended September with 282.7 million worldwide subscribers — far more than any other streaming service.
The Los Gatos, California, company earned $2.36 billion, or $5.40 per share, a 41% increase from the same time last year. Revenue climbed 15% from a year ago to $9.82 billion. Netflix management predicted the company’s revenue will rise at the same 15% year-over-year pace during the October-December period, slightly than better than analysts have been expecting.
The strong financial performance in the past quarter coupled with the upbeat forecast eclipsed any worries about slowing subscriber growth. Netflix’s stock price surged nearly 4% in extended trading after the numbers came out, building upon a more than 40% increase in the company’s shares so far this year.
The past quarter’s subscriber gains were the lowest posted in any three-month period since the beginning of last year. That drop-off indicates Netflix is shifting to a new phase after reaping the benefits from a ban on the once-rampant practice of sharing account passwords that enabled an estimated 100 million people watch its popular service without paying for it.
The crackdown, triggered by a rare loss of subscribers coming out of the pandemic in 2022, helped Netflix add 57 million subscribers from June 2022 through this June — an average of more than 7 million per quarter, while many of its industry rivals have been struggling as households curbed their discretionary spending.
Netflix’s gains also were propelled by a low-priced version of its service that included commercials for the first time in its history. The company still is only getting a small fraction of its revenue from the 2-year-old advertising push, but Netflix is intensifying its focus on that segment of its business to help boost its profits.
In a letter to shareholder, Netflix reiterated previous cautionary notes about its expansion into advertising, though the low-priced option including commercials has become its fastest growing segment.
“We have much more work to do improving our offering for advertisers, which will be a priority over the next few years,” Netflix management wrote in the letter.
As part of its evolution, Netflix has been increasingly supplementing its lineup of scripted TV series and movies with live programming, such as a Labor Day spectacle featuring renowned glutton Joey Chestnut setting a world record for gorging on hot dogs in a showdown with his longtime nemesis Takeru Kobayashi.
Netflix will be trying to attract more viewer during the current quarter with a Nov. 15 fight pitting former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson against Jake Paul, a YouTube sensation turned boxer, and two National Football League games on Christmas Day.
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