All zones in the province will move to the updated Yellow level at 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, March 7, under the province’s mandatory order based on the current situation.

“I am concerned about the rising number of active cases in the Miramichi region and Public Health is monitoring the situation closely,” said Dr. Jennifer Russell, chief medical officer of health. “If there is a significant change between now and then, we will revisit the decision but currently the Miramichi will move to Yellow along with the rest of the province.”

Last week, an updated Yellow level was announced. The changes include:

  • Residents will be allowed to expand their steady 10 to a steady 15 list of contacts. They may visit venues together, including dining out at restaurants.
  • Sports teams will be allowed to play within their league across zones, following their operational plan. Tournaments or larger events within a zone may be permitted, subject to approval of the plan.
  • Formal indoor gatherings will be permitted with an operational plan in place as long as the venue is at 50 per cent capacity or less and physical distance can be maintained.
  • Formal and informal outdoor gatherings of 50 people or fewer will be permitted with physical distancing in place.

A complete list of the updated Yellow level guidelines are available online.

COVID-19 vaccination update

With the approval of the AstraZeneca vaccine by Health Canada, the additional doses of vaccine expected and new recommendations concerning intervals between doses, the province is updating its COVID-19 vaccination plan. Details will be provided next week.

“We are making adjustments to the plan that will allow us to vaccinate more New Brunswickers in a shorter time frame,” said Health Minister Dorothy Shephard. “We will have more information about the updated plan very soon, including the important role pharmacists and other health-care partners will play.”

Four new cases

Public Health reported four new cases of COVID-19 Friday.

The one case in Zone 3 (Fredericton region) is an individual 40-49 and is travel related.

The three cases in Zone 7 (Miramichi region) are as follows:

  • three people 50-59.

All cases are self-isolating.

The number of confirmed cases in New Brunswick is 1,447. Since yesterday, seven people have recovered for a total of 1,385 recoveries. There have been 28 deaths, and the number of active cases is 33. Three patients are hospitalized and two are in intensive care. Yesterday, 929 tests were conducted for a total of 232,236.

Confirmed cases at Miramichi Valley High School and at Miramichi Education Center

A second positive case of COVID-19 was confirmed today at Miramichi Valley High School in Miramichi and the school community has been notified. The school is closed this week due to March Break.

Also, a case has been confirmed at the Miramichi Education Center in Miramichi and those who are affected have been notified.

If you or a family member have been in close contact with a 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.

COVID-19 testing in Zone 7

With a number of cases appearing in Zone 7 (Miramichi region) earlier this week and the confirmation of the variant being present, a mass testing clinic has been set up to help determine if there has been any further spread in the area. This is available for individuals who do not have any symptoms of COVID-19 but want to be tested.

Testing is being held today from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the gymnasium of the Dr. Losier Middle School, 124 Henderson St., Miramichi. An extra day of mass testing has also been added for Saturday, March 6, at the same location, also from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

No appointment is necessary. Screening tests will be done on a first-come, first-served basis. Asymptomatic people do not need to self-isolate while awaiting results, unless advised to do so by Public Health.

People with symptoms are asked to request a test online or call Tele-Care 811 to get an appointment at the nearest screening centre.

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