Public Health reported 23 new cases of COVID-19 Thursday.

The seven cases in Zone 1 (Moncton region) are as follows:

  • an individual 19 and under;
  • two people 20-29;
  • an individual 30-39;
  • an individual 40-49;
  • an individual 50-59; and
  • an individual 60-69.

The two cases in Zone 2 (Saint John region) are as follows:

  • an individual 19 and under; and
  • an individual 40-49.

The four cases in Zone 3 (Fredericton region) are as follows:

  • three individuals 19 and under; and
  • an individual 40-49.

The five cases in Zone 4 (Edmundston region) are as follows:

  • an individual 20-29;
  • two people 30-39;
  • an individual 40-49; and
  • an individual 70-79.

The four cases in Zone 5 (Campbellton region) are as follows:

  • two individuals 19 and under;
  • an individual 20-29; and
  • an individual 40-49.

The one case in Zone 6 (Bathurst region) is as follows:

  • an individual 40-49.

All cases are self-isolating and under investigation.

The number of confirmed cases in New Brunswick is 859 and 600 have recovered. There have been 12 deaths, and the number of active cases is 246. Three patients are hospitalized. As of today, 167,776 tests have been conducted.

“Right now, we are seeing our highest number of active cases to date,” said Premier Blaine Higgs. “This should serve as a wakeup call to New Brunswickers. This situation is concerning, and we all have to work together to get our province back on track.”

“To prevent a surge of COVID-19 cases from happening in New Brunswick, we all must take the simple actions that prevent the spread of the virus, such as wearing a mask, maintaining physical distance and reducing our number of close contacts,” said Dr. Jennifer Russell, chief medical officer of health. “In Orange level of recovery, we all must stay within our single household bubble and we should have no contact with anyone else within two metres without wearing a mask.”

Case at Kennebecasis Valley High School (Zone 2)

A positive case of COVID-19 was confirmed today at Kennebecasis Valley High School in Rothesay and the school community has been notified. Students and staff were at home today while contact tracing was being completed. If you or a family member have been in close contact with this case, you will be notified by Public Health for contact tracing. If you do not hear directly from Public Health, you have not been identified as a close contact.

Second case at Edith Cavell School (Zone 1)

On Wednesday, Jan. 13, a second positive case of COVID-19 was confirmed at Edith Cavell School in Moncton and the school community has been notified. Students and staff learned and worked from home today and will again tomorrow, Friday, Jan. 15, while contact tracing is completed. School staff will contact families directly if there are any other impact upon learning. If you or a family member have been in close contact with this case, you will be notified by Public Health for contact tracing. If you do not hear directly from Public Health, you have not been identified as a close contact.

Académie Notre-Dame (Zone 5)

Students in Grades 5 to 8 at Académie Notre-Dame in Dalhousie will learn from home in the coming days in response to operational pressures, due to the number of school personnel self-isolating. No additional cases at the school have been reported since Friday, Jan. 8.

Update on outbreaks at long-term care facilities

Following a confirmed case of COVID-19 today, Public Health has declared an outbreak at the Résidences Jodin Inc., a 180-bed nursing home in Edmundston, in Zone 4. Public Health has started an investigation at the facility. Contact tracing has begun and members of the Provincial Rapid Outbreak Management Team will provide support to residents and staff. Staff from the Extra-Mural Program and Ambulance New Brunswick will test the facility’s residents and staff today.

An outbreak at a long-term care facility is declared whenever there is a single laboratory-confirmed case of COVID-19 among a resident or staff member.

Re-testing for staff and residents at Fundy Royal Manor (Hillsborough) and at Parkland Saint John’s Tucker Hall is taking place today.

COVID-19 vaccination update

A shipment of Moderna vaccine arrived in the province today and will be used to vaccinate residents and staff of eight long-term care facilities in the coming days.

Additional doses of Pfizer-BioNTech arrived earlier this week. This will allow for vaccination clinics to take place this weekend in Campbellton, Edmundston, Fredericton and Saint John for members of priority groups, such as staff at regional health authorities, the Extra-Mural Program, Ambulance New Brunswick, and health-care workers at First Nations communities.

Self-isolation and work-isolation

Self-isolation means staying isolated and avoiding all contact with other people to help prevent the spread of disease to others in your home and community. Guidelines for isolation requirements for New Brunswickers in various categories, including residents returning from working outside the province, are now in effect and are available online.

Work-isolation involves travelling directly to and from a workplace without making any additional stops. People in work-isolation must wear a mask at all times in public and stay in their household bubble. Information for people following work-isolation protocols is available online.

Exposure notification

Public Health follows a standard process when addressing instances where the public may have been exposed to a case of COVID-19. In cases where record-keeping is able to identify anyone who may have been exposed, officials contact these individuals directly and do not issue a separate announcement. In cases where officials cannot be certain of exactly who may have been exposed to the virus in a given location, Public Health issues an announcement to alert those who could have been affected and provides instructions.

Public Health identified today a positive case in a traveller who may have been infectious on Jan. 3 while on the following flight:

  • Air Canada Flight 8910 – from Toronto to Moncton, arrived at 11:23 a.m.

Everyone who travelled on this flight should continue to follow the directives given to them during the travel registration process and when they entered New Brunswick.

Entire province remains at Orange level

Residents are reminded that the entire province remains at the Orange level under the province’s COVID-19 recovery plan. Orange level rules are available online.

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