A person in their 30s has died, bringing the province’s COVID-related death toll to 31 and underscoring a worrying trend of younger adults being seriously affected by the disease.
In a news release Wednesday, Public Health confirmed that a person between the ages of 30 and 39 “has died as a result of underlying complications, including COVID-19,” in the Edmundston region, Zone 4.
“This death is a sad reminder that COVID-19 does not discriminate, and that we must all continue to do everything we can to keep one another safe,” Dr. Jennifer Russell, the chief medical officer of health, said in the release.
Russell and Premier Blaine Higgs offered condolences to the person’s family.
“Each life lost in our province as a result of this virus is painful for those who knew and loved them,” Higgs said.
New group eligible for vaccine
People age 70 or older can now schedule an appointment to receive their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
The appointments can be scheduled online through Vitalité or Horizon Health Network or by contacting a participating pharmacy, Public Health said in a release Wednesday.
Only those who are part of an eligible group are allowed to make an appointment, although a caregiver or family member can make the appointment on a person’s behalf.
“Those who book an appointment at a clinic for which they are not eligible will be turned away without receiving a vaccine,” Dr. Jennifer Russell said in the news release.
14 new cases reported
There are 14 new cases being reported, affecting three zones, on Wednesday.
The cases break down in this way:
Moncton region, Zone 1, two cases:
One case is travel-related and the other one is under investigation.
Fredericton region, Zone 3, one case:
Edmundston region, Zone 4, 11 cases:
Of the 11 cases, eight are under investigation and three are contacts of a previously confirmed case. Seven of these cases are related to the outbreak at the Foyer Saint-Jacques, a special care home in Edmundston.
Public Health declared an outbreak at the home on April 3. Members of the provincial rapid outbreak management team are on site to support residents and home staff.
The number of confirmed cases in New Brunswick is 1,679, and the number of active cases is 163. Since Tuesday, 12 people have recovered for a total of 1,484 recoveries.
There have been 31 deaths. Eighteen patients are hospitalized, including 12 in an intensive care unit.
A total of 263,002 tests have been conducted, including 914 since Tuesday’s report.
In-person classes to resume this fall for colleges, universities
Post-secondary education institutions should expect in-person learning to resume this fall, according to the province.
Throughout the 2020-21 school year, colleges and universities were forced to take classes online in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“With the first doses of COVID-19 vaccines expected to be available to all New Brunswick adults by early summer, we are optimistic that these institutions will be able to offer on-campus instruction safely and successfully during the 2021-22 academic year,” said Dr. Jennifer Russell, New Brunswick’s chief medical officer of health.
Russell said it’s still critical to take COVID-19 and its variants seriously. But Public Health realizes the pandemic has had negative impacts on the mental health and financial stability of students and staff.
“Permitting a safe return to in-person education with continued adherence to public health measures is in everyone’s best interests,” Russell said in a statement released Wednesday.
Since post-secondary institutions are independent from government, Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour Minister Trevor Holder said they will make their own decisions as to when they will resume in-person learning.
Colleges and universities will also be responsible for implementing COVID-19-related safety protocols.
“I know we are ready for this step and well-positioned to react should there be a change in circumstances over the coming months,” Holder said.
Researchers develop immunity test for COVID-19
Researchers in Ontario have designed a test that will determine whether someone is immune to COVID-19.
Although thousands of Canadians are being vaccinated for the virus, John Trant said researchers still don’t know how long immunity will last — varying anywhere between six months to two years.
“If it wears off after a year or two years, we will need to get booster shots because we won’t be safe until everybody in the world is immune,” said John Trant, a chemistry professor who is leading the research team at the University of Windsor.
He said if anyone in the world acts as a reservoir for the disease, it will spread again.
“We saw how quickly it spread this time.”
That’s why monitoring people’s immune status is important, Trant said.
The test, which doesn’t have an official name yet, is similar to a pregnancy test.
A person takes a drop of blood and puts it on a lateral flow cassette. Within about five minutes, the test will reveal a line or no line at all.
“That will basically say, ‘Yes you’re immune or no you’re not, or your immunity is fading and it’s time for a booster,'” he said.
Then, a pharmacist or doctor will decide next steps, such as getting an updated booster shot.
Once people are vaccinated they are protected against COVID-19 for six months to two years.
“After that it’s going to vary person to person,” he said. “Everybody’s immunity is going to fade at different rates.”
Eventually, they’re hoping testing will be in the form of a nasal swab.
He said it should be done with a regular checkup, a hospital visit or visit to the pharmacy once every six months and will cost about $10.
Clinical trials are taking place right now and the test is expected to be ready in the next year.
Hairdressers struggle to stay open in pandemic
New Brunswick hairdressers say their businesses are struggling to survive the pandemic.
Gaye Cail, chair of executive officers of the Cosmetology Association, says many members are scared and few hairdressers qualify for existing government relief programs.
Most of the members are self-employed and run their own establishments.
“With the Opportunities New Brunswick benefit, they don’t qualify for that because they don’t have two or more employees or staff in there,” said Cail.
She said it also doesn’t make sense for members to receive a loan from the province, as they’re continuously being shut down.
“How would they ever pay back the loans?”
As long as they have an operational plan, salons are permitted to open in the orange phase of New Brunswick’s COVID-19 recovery plan. But the association has been lobbying for permission from government to remain open in the red phase.
“There’s been no transmission in cosmetology,” she said. ” …It just seems a bit heavy handed on our behalf.”
Cail said the prospect of closure orders has also led many hairdressers to switch to mobile operations or working at home.
“We’re not sure what to expect in the future.”
List of exposures
Public Health is advising anyone who used the female changing room at the Saint John Regional Y on April 1 and in that time frame, call Public Health at 506-658-5188. Public Health is also advising staff and patrons who scanned into the Regional Y through Membership on the specified time and date — regardless of their location within the building — to self-monitor for symptoms until midnight of April 11
“The YMCA of Greater Saint John’s first priority is the health and safety of the children, families and staff who are part of our Y community,” said Shilo Boucher, president & CEO of the YMCA of Greater Saint John.
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:
Fever above 38 C.
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.