COVID-19 killed four more New Brunswickers, while flu activity spiked again, sending another eight people to the hospital, three of whom required intensive care and one between the ages of 20 and 44.
The other four people who died from COVID-19 were 65 or older, according to Tuesday’s Respiratory Watch report, which covers the Nov. 19-25 period.
Only cases shown dying in hospital are counted as COVID-19 deaths in New Brunswick. The four most recent deaths bring the pandemic’s death toll to at least 968.
Another sixty-three people were hospitalized for or with COVID-19 the week of the report, three of whom required extensive care. This is down from 71 hospitalizations and five intensive care admissions in the previous report.
Of those hospitalized, six were between 20 and 44 years old, 12 were between 45 and 64 years old, and forty-five were 65 years old or older.
Twelve lab-confirmed COVID-19 outbreaks were declared — two in nursing homes and 10 in facilities described only as “other,” which could include adult residential homes, for example, or correctional centres. A week ago, 15 outbreaks were reported.
The number of new COVID-19 cases demonstrated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) laboratory tests increased from 161 to 153.
The positivity rate (the overall percentage of lab PCR tests performed that produced a result) is 15%, up from 16%.
“COVID-19 activity remains subdued; Most signals have remained strong during the current reporting period,” the report says.
CBC gave an interview to outgoing medical director of fitness, Dr. Susan S. TJennifer Russell, whose last day of work is Friday, didn’t get a response.
A total of 108,562 COVID-19 vaccines have been administered since Oct. 4, according to figures from the Department of Health.
Between November 19 and 25, 51 laboratory-confirmed cases of influenza were reported, 96 percent more than the 26 cases shown in the previous report.
All influenza A (no subtype).
Most of the cases, 21, are in the Miramichi area, Zone 7, according to the report. The Bathurst Region Zone 6 has cases, followed largely by the Saint John Region Zone 2 with 10. The Moncton Region (Zone 1) has seven cases and the Campbellton Region (Zone 5) has two cases.
This brings the total number of flu cases to 99 since the start of the respiratory season on Aug. 27.
In addition to the eight new hospitalizations, there was one influenza-like illness outbreak reported at a school. No information about the school, the number of cases or whether it’s students or staff affected has been released.
School outbreaks have a 10% absenteeism rate at a school due to flu-like symptoms, according to the report.
A total of 168,865 New Brunswickers have been vaccinated against the flu since Oct. 4, the Health Ministry said.
Horizon Health Network had 58 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Saturday, more than the previous week.
Five of them require intensive care, unchanged, according to their weekly COVID-19 dashboard.
The number of Horizon fitness workers who lost their jobs after testing positive for COVID-19 also remains as of last week at 46, a low of two.
On Tuesday, COVID-19 outbreaks occurred at several Horizon hospitals. These include:
Vitalité Health Network still updates its COVID-19 report only once a month, on the last Tuesday of each month.
However, it has updated its COVID-19 outbreak page and reports two outbreaks, as of Tuesday, at the Dr. Georges-L. -Dumont University Hospital Center in Moncton, the geriatric unit (3A) and the general unit. . surgical block (4A).
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