New Brunswick authorities to update on rising COVID-19 cases

Both the Moncton area (zone 1) and the Campbellton area (zone 5) returned to the orange recovery phase on Friday.

It was spread at the Manoir Notre-Dame Special Care Home in Moncton and is under special investigation in the Campbellton area.

COVID-19 Sunday The province announced 14 new cases, all of which are related to two outbreaks.

One of the new cases was confirmed by a third in a school in the province, while the LE Rainsborough School in Dalhousie reported a positive case.

There are now 37 active cases in the Moncton area and 30 active cases in the Campbellton area. There are two active cases in the Fredericton area (zone 3) and two active cases in the St. John area (zone 2).

Public Health has only confirmed community transmission for the Moncton outbreak.

New Brunswickers are advised to avoid all unnecessary travel in and outside the Orange Zones.

The rise in cases prompted Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labradors to issue travel advice to two areas of New Brunswick. He said the two provinces were closely monitoring the situation with the Atlantic Travel Bubble.

In response to multiple schools having a positive case, New Brunswick imposed strict restrictions on schools in the Orange area.

There are cases in 3 schools

Sugarloff Senior High School in Campbellton and another elementary school academy in Dalhousie, Notre Dame, have each filed a COVID-19 case.

Masks are now required for all K-12 grade students in schools in the Campbellton and Moncton health areas – both indoors and outdoors.

Exceptions are made for physical education and when students are eating or quietly working at their desk. Those with medical reasons are also exempt.

All school sports and extracurricular activities are now canceled.

Orange phase limits

As part of tighter sanctions to stop the spread of COVID-19, masks are now mandatory in all indoor and outdoor public spaces in the Orange Zone.

Those who have already entered the Campbellton or Moncton areas over the holiday weekend are required to comply with all orange-level requirements for 14 days after returning home.

Those guidelines include limiting contacts to a two-house bubble, avoiding meetings, wearing masks in all indoor and outdoor public spaces, and being vigilant in self-monitoring and testing if symptoms develop.

Public meetings should be limited to 10 people or less, and some indoor events, including weddings, funerals, and religious services, may be limited to 10 or fewer people.

Contact personal services, including barbers, spas and hairstylists, are closed under the orange level restrictions.

Gyms, fitness facilities and entertainment venues, casinos, entertainment centers, bingo halls, arcades, cinemas and large live performances were also closed.

Russell said the source of the outbreak in Manoir Notre-Dame was “linked to travel”, while the source of the Campbellton cases is under investigation.

Public Health has not found a link between the Moncton outbreak in the Campbellton area and the 30 active cases, but contact tracing continues. At least one case is related to travel.

New Brunswick conducted 766 tests on Saturday for a total of 84,847 people. 272 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in New Brunswick since the outbreak. Two deaths and 199 recovered.