A nursing home in Saint John has a resurgence of COVID-19 with two new confirmed cases Tuesday and a retirement residence in Moncton also has a confirmed case of the respiratory disease.
A resident and an employee at Shannex Inc.’s Tucker Hall nursing home in Saint John have tested positive, the company confirmed in a statement.
Public Health is investigating and conducting contact tracing.
All residents are isolating in their rooms and will be retested Tuesday, along with all employees, the statement said. Anyone who tests positive will be notified immediately.
Visits are suspended until further notice.
The new cases come as Shannex was anticipating Public Health lifting its outbreak status next week.
An outbreak was declared at the nursing home on Nov. 20, and the last positive case was announced on Dec. 16. Outbreaks are typically declared over 28 days — two COVID-19 incubation periods — after the latest case tested positive.
“This is disappointing news for everyone at Tucker Hall, but especially for residents and families who have already suffered as a result of the first phase of this outbreak,” Derek Green, vice-president of New Brunswick operations said in a statement.
“This virus has been incredibly difficult to fight, but we are working closely with our partners at Public Health and we are doing everything we can to protect our community and get beyond this so families can safely be together again,” he said.
Comprehensive precautions remain in place for all employees, including active screening with temperature checks, the use of masks and other personal protective equipment, proper hand hygiene and physical distancing.
Caught virus at holiday gathering
In Moncton, a man living at People’s Park Tower tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this week, Paul Hanscomb, vice-president of residential operations at the residence, said Tuesday.
Hanscomb said the man caught the virus while attending a family gathering over the holidays.
“Where all of the residents are relatively independent, they can come and go,” he said. “We have very little control of what residents do outside the building.”
The man went for a COVID-19 test on Jan. 1 after someone at the gathering tested positive for the virus, Hanscomb said. His results came back two days later.
The facility received a call from Public Health late Sunday evening about the confirmed case.
The next day, the facility took additional precautions, such as removing housekeeping staff from apartments and closing public laundry areas, to minimize the contact among residents and staff.
Hanscomb said Public Health concluded its investigation and no resident or employee was considered a close contact of the confirmed case.
“It’s very low-risk,” he said.
About 500 people in building
Hanscomb did not have other details, including where the gathering was held or how many people attended.
He did say the individual didn’t interact with any other residents at the facility. He doesn’t partake in any of the facility activities or use any of its services, such as the dining area or the pharmacy either.
The man, who was “very forthcoming,” is self-isolating with mild symptoms, said Hanscomb. The facility will be providing meals to the resident during his isolation, he said.
There are about 400 residents and 100 staff at the building, a retirement residence for independent seniors.
“There’s a lot of stigma with COVID-19 right now and it’s nice if we can change that, because that’s what causes people not to disclose if they’re not feeling well,” Hanscomb said.
As of Monday, there were 22 active COVID-19 cases in the Moncton region. A new case report will be out later Tuesday.
Kristy Tobin, whose mother is a resident at People’s Park Tower in the city’s west end, said her mother told her she had received a letter from Public Health on Monday, informing her of the case in her building.
Visits to the building are being restricted to one family member at a time, Tobin said.
75% of New Brunswickers want to get vaccine, survey suggests
According to a survey done by New Brunswick Public Health, up to 75 per cent of people plan to get a COVID-19 vaccine, according to a survey done for the province, Dr. Jennifer Russell says.
Although priority groups are receiving the vaccine now, Russell, the chief medical officer of health, said the province won’t be receiving large amounts of the vaccine until later in the spring or into early fall.
And it will take several months before Public Health can perform a quicker rollout of the vaccine, similar to the flu campaign.
Russell said she wasn’t concerned that 25 per cent of New Brunswickers might not want the vaccine, since a 65 per cent vaccination rate would be effective.
“What I am concerned about at this time is getting the outbreak that we have under control so we don’t have health-care workers tied up with COVID issues as opposed to immunization issues,” Russell said in an interview with Information Morning Fredericton.
Russell also warned people about the latestt U.K. variant of COVID-19, which is believed to spread faster than the original version.
Jennifer Russell says post-holiday cases are ‘very concerning’
She said only people travelling from the U.K. are being tested for the new variant at this time.
Russell is encouraging New Brunswickers to get tested, even if they have mild symptoms.
“Stay home if you’re not feeling well,” she said. “Stay home from work and do not attend gatherings of any kind … I think people had a false sense of security that we had low numbers of cases and they didn’t have anything to worry about.”
Russell said she understands people are likely tired of hearing about COVID-19, but it’s important to stay vigilant and support those who have been diagnosed with the virus.
“Nobody intends to get COVID-19, but it is happening.”
Province to hold news briefing Tuesday afternoon
Premier Blaine Higgs and Dr. Jennifer Russell, New Brunswick’s chief medical officer of health, will be providing a COVID-19 news briefing at 2:30 p.m. in Fredericton.
Seventeen new cases of COVID-19 were reported in New Brunswick on Monday, 12 of them in the Moncton region, Zone 1, and two new potential public exposure warnings have been issued.
The 17 cases brought the total number announced since New Year’s Day to 36.
Russell expects to see more cases in the next three to four days following New Year’s Eve celebrations.
“We knew there were risks around the holiday season between travelling and between gatherings,” she said Tuesday. “We expected to see a rise in cases.”
There were 55 active cases in New Brunswick on Monday, with the total number of confirmed cases at 635 and 570 recovered. Nine people have died from COVID-19. Another person who tested positive also died but not as a result of COVID-19.
One patient is hospitalized and is in an intensive care unit. As of Monday, 154,556 tests have been conducted, including 432 since Sunday’s report.
Music festival to open, despite pandemic
The Shivering Songs music festival will take place from Jan. 20 to 24 in Fredericton. But things will look a lot different because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Shivering Songs is a cure to the winter blues,” said Zach Atkinson, festival co-organizer.
“We wanted to do something positive for the community that’s safe [and] gives the community something to look forward to.”
Atkinson said the local festival will be following safety protocols and will provide a safe place for concert-goers.
Masks will be mandatory, there will be fewer shows and artists, and venues will have reduced capacity.
He said many of the venues such as the Fredericton Playhouse and the Cap, already have operational plans to keep the public safe.
But if COVID-19 cases continue to rise in the region, Atkinson said they’re prepared to hold the festival virtually.
“We really want to do it for the community.”
The festival will feature an all-New Brunswick lineup, including Juno award winner Jeremy Dutcher, Grand Theft Bus and The Hypochondriacs.
“There was a lot of conversation around, should we do this? Should we not do this?” he said. “We want to push forward.”
2 public exposure notifications issued
Public Health has identified potential public exposure at the following locations:
If you were at any of these locations, and you have no symptoms of COVID-19, self-monitor and follow all Public Health guidelines. If you are experiencing mild to moderate symptoms of COVID-19 and do not need to talk to a nurse, complete the self-assessment and get tested.
What to do if you have a symptom
People concerned they might have COVID-19 symptoms can take a self-assessment test online.
Public Health says symptoms shown by people with COVID-19 have included:
A fever above 38 C.
A new cough or worsening chronic cough.
New onset of fatigue, muscle pain, diarrhea, loss of sense of taste or smell.
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 Tele-Care 811 or their doctor.
Describe symptoms and travel history.
Follow instructions.