N.B. reported 118 new Covid-19 cases, with one death in the Saint John district

Key takeaways:

• New Brunswick reported 118 new cases of COVID-19 and one fatality in its Sunday bulletin.
• Physical distance is increasingly necessary for malls and retail enterprises, such as grocery stores, salons, and spas.
• According to Dr. Jennifer Russell, the province will expand the availability of booster doses next week to cover persons in their 50s.

In Sunday’s bulletin, New Brunswick reported 118 new cases of COVID-19 and one death.

According to a press release from the province, a person aged 80 to 89 died in the Saint John district. It’s the 133rd death in the province linked to COVID-19.

There are 752 active cases in New Brunswick.

The province’s winter action plan has imposed further limits.

Level 1 measures began at 11:59 p.m. on Saturday.

They include disguising outside when physical separation is impossible to maintain and physical separation in interior public venues where proof of vaccination is not required. The number of persons who can attend indoor and outdoor parties is also limited.

Physical distance is increasingly necessary for malls and retail enterprises, such as grocery stores, salons, and spas. According to the province’s announcement on Friday, they can also request proof of immunization.

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Although food stores are typically seen as necessary, businesses do have the option of enforcing a proof-of-vaccination requirement.

“We think that most retail businesses, especially those that sell critical goods and services, will choose to enforce two-meters separation within their stores rather than seek proof of immunization,” the province said.

“Retailers may also choose to offer their customers curbside or delivery choices,” according to a Health Department representative. “Many have done so since the beginning of the pandemic.”

Since the last Public Health update, there have been 87 recoveries.

There are 46 people hospitalized, with 16 of them in intensive care.

Twenty-two of the persons in the hospital is above the age of 60, while one is under 19. Nine persons are also using a ventilator.

“Fourteen of the 46 persons hospitalized for various reasons were later diagnosed with COVID-19 as a result of outbreaks at hospitals in Moncton, Saint John, and Miramichi,” Public Health stated on Sunday.

“Most of those who have been infected are currently experiencing mild to moderate COVID-19 symptoms.”

As of Sunday, 55 New Brunswick visitors returning from the ten countries where the omicron strain is causing limitations are being held in isolation to prevent the virus from spreading further, unchanged from the previous update on Friday.

The province has not named the countries involved.

New cases are broken down.

The new cases were recorded in all seven areas of the province, with the Fredericton region reporting the most.

The following is a list of the new cases:

There are 23 cases in Zone 1 of the Moncton region.

Sixteen are under investigation, and seven are the contacts of previously confirmed cases.

There are 18 cases in the Saint John region, Zone 2.

Eight are under investigation, and 10 are contacts of previously confirmed cases.

Zone 3 in Fredericton has 53 instances.

A total of 45 people are being investigated, with eight of them being the contacts of previously verified cases.

There are four cases in the Edmundston region, Zone 4.

Three of the cases are contacts of previously confirmed cases, and one is under investigation.

There are four cases in the Campbellton region, Zone 5.

Three of the cases are contacts of previously confirmed cases, and one is under investigation.

One example is the Bathurst region in Zone 6.

They are the contact for a case that has already been confirmed.

14 cases in the Miramichi region, Zone 7.

Six are under investigation, and nine are the contacts of previously confirmed cases.

There have been 8,798 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in New Brunswick throughout the pandemic, with 7,912 recoveries.

567,192 tests have been performed to date, with 862 being performed on Saturday.

As of Sunday, 82 percent of eligible New Brunswickers had obtained their full COVID-19 vaccination, up from 81.9 percent the day before, and 87.3 percent had received their first dose, up from 87.1 percent the day before.

According to Dr. Jennifer Russell, who spoke at a COVID-19 update on Friday, the province will expand the availability of booster doses next week to cover persons in their 50s.

People in their 40s will be eligible in the coming weeks, with other New Brunswickers following suit, she said.