New Brunswick COVID-19 Update
Public Health reported one new case of COVID-19 Friday.
The new case is an individual between 10 and 19 in Zone 2 (Saint John region). The case is travel related and the individual is self-isolating.
The number of confirmed cases in New Brunswick is 191 and 182 have recovered. There have been two deaths and there are seven active cases. As of Friday, 60,598 tests have been conducted.
Changes in long-term care visitations
Long-term care facilities that wish to reintroduce designated support people are now permitted to do so, provided the appropriate guidance is followed. Designated support people are often family members and are an important part of a resident’s care team.
Off-site visits can be reintroduced, effective immediately, provided the appropriate guidance can be respected. Off-site visits, whether day or overnight visits, provide an important break from the routine for residents.
“We recognize that many residents have not had the ability to have close contact or leave their facilities since March,” said Dr. Jennifer Russell, chief medical officer of health. “It was important for us to ease these restrictions to meet the needs of the residents and their families while continuing to protect our most vulnerable residents.”
If the province returns to the Red or Orange levels of recovery, restrictions on designated support people and off-site visits may be reintroduced.
Testing for international and out-of-province students
Students coming to New Brunswick from outside the Atlantic region to attend public school or post-secondary institutions will be required to self-isolate for 14 days upon their arrival. Students arriving from outside Canada will be tested on the 10th day of their isolation period. Testing is voluntary for those students already in Canada, but from outside the Atlantic bubble.
Fall COVID-19 testing
In an effort to identify as many cases of COVID-19 as possible, and to maintain a testing threshold across the province, testing is recommended for individuals experiencing mild symptoms or only one symptom.
Testing will be available to various groups, including asymptomatic staff and volunteers at long-term care facilities (nursing home and adult residential facility), First Nations community health centres, provincial correctional facilities and homeless shelters.
Technical updates to MyHealthNB website
A necessary system upgrade affecting the MyHealthNB website, a secure web portal to enable eligible New Brunswickers to obtain access to their COVID-19 test results, will occur this weekend.
There will be a delay in displaying new test results starting at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 29, until 2 p.m. on Sunday. If an individual has a positive COVID-19 test result during this period, a health professional will contact them by telephone.