80 people hospitalized with COVID-19 in New Brunswick, 17 in ICU

COVID-19 hospitalizations on the rise Starting Monday, those 18 and older will be eligible for a booster in New Brunswick as hospitalization numbers continue to increase. Laura Lyall reports.

The latest figures from New Brunswick show 80 people are currently hospitalized due to COVID-19 in the province, 17 of them are in intensive care and 11 people are on a ventilator.

According to the province’s online dashboard, there were 421 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, bringing the total number of active cases to 7,898.

New Brunswick also reported one additional death on Saturday, however no details were released.

The number of recoveries was not updated Saturday.

ACTIVE CASES BY HEALTH ZONE

As indicated on the online dashboard, this is the breakdown of active cases by health zone in New Brunswick:

EXPANDING BOOSTER ELIGIBILITY

Beginning Monday, Jan. 10, New Brunswickers 18 and older will be eligible to schedule an appointment for a booster dose of an mRNA vaccines, as long as five months has passed since their second dose.

“The COVID-19 vaccine booster is safe for women who are pregnant and should be received as soon as possible,” said Dr. Jennifer Russell, chief medical officer of health, in a news release on Friday. “Getting the booster can protect you from severe illness and a healthy, protected mom is important for a healthy baby.”

Those eligible will be offered Moderna at booster clinics, regardless of which vaccine they received for previous doses. The limited supply of Pfizer booster doses is being reserved for people 12 to 29 because there is evidence that the risk of myocarditis/pericarditis for this age group is decreased with the Pfizer vaccine as opposed to Moderna. The risk posed by the Moderna vaccine is less for those 30 and older.

“Do not wait for a preferred brand because it will not be available to you for several months,” said Russell.

“What matters right now is that everyone gets a booster as soon as possible. Moderna is a safe and effective vaccine, and as the number of COVID-19 cases rise due to the Omicron variant, it becomes increasingly important for people to get their booster of the COVID-19 vaccine.”

REGISTRATION REQUIRED FOR RAPID-TEST KITS

People with COVID-19 symptoms are now required to register online for a PCR test or rapid test under the provincial government’s new testing strategy.

By completing the online form, people can determine which type of test they are eligible to receive.

Those with symptoms, and who are aged two to 49 and otherwise healthy will be advised to take a rapid test. After registering their information, people can book an appointment to pick up a rapid-test kit at a hub or mobile-site location. Anyone picking up rapid tests must present an email confirmation of their appointment.

PCR tests are reserved for people at the highest risk of being hospitalized due to COVID-19. These include:

People who need a PCR test for travel, residents of First Nations communities and children under two are also eligible to receive a PCR test.

People who are isolating because of their symptoms are permitted to leave isolation to attend a test appointment.