N.B. COVID-19 roundup: Masks are here 'for the foreseeable future,' health minister says
Delta variant means no end in sight for mask mandate, says Dorothy Shephard
Masks are here to stay "for the foreseeable future," said Dorothy Shephard.
She made the comment to reporters Tuesday when asked what more the province can do to combat COVID-19, when new daily COVID-19 case counts continue to hover between roughly 40 and 50, and the Moncton region, Zone 1, in particular remains a concern, despite a month-long circuit breaker.
"Well, I think we always knew that in the end, we're going to be living with COVID. And that's the … important nuance that we've got, I think … to get to an acceptance of," she said.
"I also think that we know now, with the reality of what's happened with [the] delta [variant], that masks are in our future for the foreseeable future."
The highly transmissible variant is driving the fourth wave of the pandemic. It has also increased the vaccination target to achieve so-called herd immunity, where having a certain proportion of the population vaccinated protects others who aren't immunized.
The original goal was to have 75 per cent of New Brunswickers aged 12 and older fully vaccinated. The new target is to have at least 90 per cent of the total population — not just the eligible population — double-dosed.
As of Tuesday afternoon, 75.9 per cent of the total population had received two doses, while 82 per cent had received one dose, according to the CBC tracker.
New Brunswickers … have a lot of power in preventing the spread of COVID and any of the variants. And so we just ask for their help every single day.
- Dorothy Shephard, health minister
Shephard said household transmissions account for most new cases of COVID-19 in the province and urged everyone to keep their number of contacts as low as possible.
"And so I think only what we can do is to continue to remind New Brunswickers that, you know, they have a lot of power in preventing the spread of COVID and any of the variants. And so we just ask for their help every single day."
The circuit breaker, which restricts private gatherings and non-essential travel to help limit the spread of the virus and keep more people out of hospital, covers Zone 1 as far north as, and including, Sainte-Anne-de-Kent and a large section of the Saint John region, Zone 2, including New River Beach and Lepreau, north to the communities of Clarendon and Welsford, east to the community of Head of Millstream, and all of the communities in Saint John and Kings counties.
It's expected to continue until at least Friday at 6 p.m.
Health officials will have more to say later this week about whether a circuit breaker might be needed in the Miramichi region, Zone 7, said Shephard. There are outbreaks at the homeless shelter and at Nelson Rural School.
Masks have been mandatory in all indoor public spaces since Sept. 21 at 11:59 p.m. Public Health recommended the renewed mask mandate to ensure people could continue to have access to urgent care, intensive care beds, and hospital beds when they need it, Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Jennifer Russell said at the time.
523 active cases
Public Health reported 52 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, bumping the province's active case count up to 523.
Sixteen people are in hospital because of the virus, including 10 in intensive care.
A total of 86.1 per cent of New Brunswickers 12 or older are fully vaccinated, and 92.9 per cent have received their first vaccine dose.
New Brunswick has had 6,865 confirmed cases of COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic, with 6,220 recoveries so far and 121 COVID-related deaths.
A total of 532,024 lab tests have been conducted, including 1,304 on Monday.
Public exposure notices
For the full list of new and previous public exposure notices, please visit the government of New Brunswick's website.
People who have not been fully vaccinated at least 14 days prior to a possible exposure and who have symptoms should still get a COVID lab test. They can book an appointment online or call Tele-Care 811 and must isolate while waiting for their test result.
People who are not fully vaccinated and do not have symptoms, are now being instructed to pick up an At-Home COVID-19 Rapid Point of Care Test (Rapid POCT) screening kit. They do not need to isolate if they have not been directed by Public Health to do so.
All positive point of care test results must be confirmed with a laboratory polymerase chain reaction, or PCR test.
It can take up to 14 days to test positive after being exposed to COVID-19 so even if their results comes back negative, they should continue to self-monitor for any symptoms and get tested immediately if any develop.
They should also avoid visiting settings with vulnerable populations, such as nursing homes, correctional facilities and shelters during that 14-day period.
For people who have been fully vaccinated at least 14 days prior to a possible exposure, Public Health recommends they monitor for symptoms for 14 days after the possible exposure and get a COVID lab test if symptoms develop.
They do not need to isolate while they wait for their test results.
If they do not have symptoms, they can pick up a rapid test kit and do not need to isolate.
What to do if you have a symptom
People concerned they might have COVID-19 can take a self-assessment test online.
Public Health says symptoms of the illness have included a fever above 38 C, a new or worsening cough, sore throat, runny nose, headache, a new onset of fatigue, and difficulty breathing.
In children, symptoms have also included purple markings on the fingers and toes.
People with one of those symptoms should stay at home, call 811 or their doctor and follow instructions.
With files from Jacques Poitras
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