Press "Enter" to skip to content

Tag: New Brunswick

N.B. decides against updates to Clean Air Act to improve indoor air quality

Nearly a year after the legislature unanimously passed an Opposition motion to update the New Brunswick Clean Air Act and improve air quality in public buildings to reduce the spread of airborne illnesses, such as COVID-19, the government says it won’t update the act after all.

The Department of Environment and Local Government reviewed the act, which dates back to 1997, and “determined updating was not necessary because protections already exist under other legislation,” such as the Occupational Health and Safety Act, said spokesperson Clarissa Andersen.

Comments closed

Two more COVID deaths in New Brunswick

Two New Brunswickers aged 65 or older died from COVID-19 between April 14-20, according to new data from the province.

The news was included in its weekly update on COVID and influenza.

Seventeen people required hospital treatment for COVID between April 14-20, and one patient needed intensive care. There were two lab-confirmed COVID outbreaks in undisclosed facilities.

Comments closed

New Brunswick mulls future of COVID-19 rapid tests, as virus kills 2, hospitalizes child under 4

New Brunswick is mulling the future of its COVID-19 rapid point-of-care testing program, as the virus claimed two more lives and hospitalized 17 people, including a child under four.

“Demand for rapid tests has been steadily declining since last fall, and the province is currently determining its next steps with regards to the COVID-19 tests,” said Department of Health spokesperson Sean Hatchard.

He made the comment in response to questions from CBC News about how much longer the province will continue to offer free rapid test kits and whether it’s considering phasing them out.

Comments closed

COVID-19 kills 2 more in N.B., flu sends child under 4 and 2 youths to hospital

COVID-19 has killed two more New Brunswickers, while a child under four and two youths aged five to 19 are among those hospitalized by the flu, Tuesday’s Respiratory Watch report shows.

“COVID-19 activity remains moderate; some indicators (number of cases, percent positivity, and number of deaths) remained stable during the current reporting period,” April 7 to April 13, the report says.

Influenza activity decreased slightly, it says.

The two people who died from COVID during the reporting week were both aged 65 or older.

Comments closed

COVID-19 kills New Brunswicker aged 45-64, 2 youth among those hospitalized by flu

A New Brunswicker aged 45 to 64 has died from COVID-19, while the flu sent eight people to the hospital, including two youth aged five to 19, updated data from the province Tuesday shows.

“COVID-19 activity remains moderate,” according to the Respiratory Watch report. “Some indicators (number of cases, percent positivity, and hospitalizations) decreased slightly during the current reporting period, between March 31 and April 6.

Influenza activity remained “relatively stable,” it says.

Comments closed

3 COVID deaths recorded as N.B. cases increase slightly, child under 4 dies from flu

Three more New Brunswickers have died from COVID-19, and one child died of influenza, according to data from the province updated Wednesday.

Hospitalizations for COVID-19 have slightly increased, while influenza hospitalizations remained steady in the period of March 17 to March 23, according to the provincial Respiratory Watch report.

“COVID-19 activity remains moderate; some indicators (number of cases, percent positivity, and hospitalizations) increased slightly,” the report says.

The person who died of influenza was four years old or younger.

Comments closed

3 more COVID deaths in New Brunswick, 4 youth among flu hospitalizations

Three more New Brunswickers have died from COVID-19, while no new influenza deaths have been reported, and hospitalizations for both viruses have decreased, updated data from the province Tuesday shows.

A child under four, and three youth aged five to 19 are among those hospitalized by the flu between March 10 and March 16, according to the Respiratory Watch report.

“COVID-19 activity remains moderate; some indicators (number of cases, percent positivity, and hospitalizations) decreased slightly during the current reporting period,” it says.

Influenza activity “slightly decreased” during the reporting week.

Of the three people who died, one was aged 45 to 64 and the other two were aged 65 or older.

Comments closed

Spring COVID-19 vaccines available April 2 for high-risk New Brunswickers

Spring COVID-19 vaccines will be available April 2 to New Brunswickers considered most at risk of severe illness.

This includes people aged 65 or older, residents of nursing homes and adult residential facilities, and immunocompromised people aged six months or older, the Department of Health said in a news release Monday.

Comments closed

COVID-19 kills 3 more in N.B., new variant JN.1 appears poised to become dominant

COVID-19 has killed three more New Brunswickers and a new subvariant, JN.1, appears to be on its way to taking over as the dominant strain in the province.

COVID-19 activity remains “moderate,” according to Tuesday’s Respiratory Watch report. Most indicators remained “stable” throughout the reporting period, Jan. 14 to Jan. 20, it says.

The flu has killed two more people, but influenza activity decreased during the reporting week, with the number of new cases dropping back to historical averages, the report shows.

Comments closed

COVID-19 and flu kill 14 in N.B., 5 young children among more than 100 hospitalized

COVID-19 and the flu have killed at least 14 New Brunswickers in a week and hospitalized more than 100 people, including five children under four, the latest figures from the Department of Health show.

COVID-19 activity remains “moderate,” according to the Respiratory Watch report. “All indicators remained stable throughout the current reporting period,” Dec. 31 to Jan. 6.

Influenza activity remains “elevated,” it says.

Eight people died from COVID-19, up from six the previous week. They were all aged 65 or older.

Their deaths raise the pandemic death toll to at least 997. Only confirmed cases who die in hospital are counted.

Comments closed

N.B. adds 17 more COVID-19 deaths, child under 4 among first flu deaths, warning about strep

COVID-19 has killed 17 more New Brunswickers, including six over the holidays, while influenza has claimed nine lives. These are the first flu deaths of the season and they include a child under four, the latest data from the province shows.

Dr. Yves Léger, the province’s acting chief medical officer of health, held a rare meeting with reporters Tuesday because of the rise in respiratory illnesses.

Comments closed

COVID-19 kills 2 more in N.B., hospitalizations and nursing home outbreaks jump

New Brunswick reported two more deaths from COVID-19, a week-over-week jump in hospitalizations and nursing home outbreaks because of the virus, and an increase in flu cases and hospitalizations Tuesday.

Comments closed

Révision des mesures au sujet du port des masques à l’hôpital Dumont

The Vitalité Health Network said on Friday that the population should now wear a mask in the environment of direct patient care at the Centre…

Comments closed

2 new COVID-19 variants now dominant in N.B.

Two new COVID-19 variants quickly gaining traction across Canada are already dominant in New Brunswick.

So far, HV.1 and HK.3, related to Omicron EG.5, do not appear to cause more severe disease than other recent variants, said Colin Furness, an infection control epidemiologist and assistant professor at the University of Toronto.

Comments closed

Canadians’ life expectancy falls for third straight year: StatCan

More than 19,700 Canadians died of COVID-19 last year, the highest number since the pandemic began in 2020.

Comments closed

Baisse de l’espérance de vie en Atlantique : la COVID-19, principale responsable

Life expectancy fell in the four Atlantic provinces in 2022. COVID-19 is one of the causes put forward by Statistics Canada to explain the phenomenon.

Comments closed

N.B. COVID-19 death toll increases by 4, child under 4 hospitalized

COVID-19 has killed at least four more New Brunswickers aged 65 or older, and a child under four is among those hospitalized for or with the virus between Nov. 5 and Nov. 11, figures released by the province Tuesday show.

Comments closed

Person 20 to 44 years old among N.B.’s latest COVID deaths, child under 4 hospitalized

At least two more New Brunswickers have died from COVID-19, including one aged 20 to 44, while a child under four is among the 52 people hospitalized for or with the virus, the latest weekly figures released by the province Wednesday show.

Comments closed