The section of Zone 4 that is currently in the Orange level, including Edmundston and the Upper Madawaska region, Saint-Léonard, Grand Falls, Drummond, New Denmark and Four Falls, will move to the Yellow level at midnight tonight under the province's mandatory order.

“I would like to offer my gratitude to the people of the Madawaska region,” said Dr. Jennifer Russell, chief medical officer of health. “Your patience and perseverance have enabled us to slow the spread of the virus and bring this outbreak under control. For the first time since mid-March, all of New Brunswick will be at the Yellow level. If we want to maintain this position, everyone must remain vigilant and follow public health guidance, including those who have been vaccinated.”

People 40 and older eligible for vaccine

The provincial government announced today that people 40 and older may now schedule an appointment online to receive their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine through Vitalité or Horizon health networks or by contacting a participating pharmacy.

If an eligible individual, or a caregiver or family member acting on their behalf, is unable to book an appointment at a clinic online, they can call 1-833-437-1424.

Walk-in appointments are not available. If you have a vaccination appointment that you cannot attend because you have been directed to self-isolate, please reschedule your appointment.

11 new cases

Public Health reported 11 new cases of COVID-19 Monday. This includes six travel-related cases of New Brunswickers who are isolating outside the province.

New Brunswick residents who are in another Canadian jurisdiction at the time of being diagnosed with COVID-19 are recorded in New Brunswick statistics, as long as they have a valid Medicare card and a New Brunswick home address. These cases, including out-of-province hospitalizations, are counted in the health zones of their home communities.

The three cases in Zone 1 (Moncton region) are as follows:

  • an individual 19 and under;
  • an individual 20-29; and
  • an individual 40-49.

Two cases are contacts of previously confirmed cases and one is an out-of-province travel case.

The one case in Zone 2 (Saint John region) is an individual 19 and under and is a contact of a previously confirmed case.

The one case in Zone 3 (Fredericton region) is an individual 50-59 and is an out-of-province travel case.

The one case in Zone 4 (Edmundston region) is an individual 19 and under and is under investigation.

The one case in Zone 5 (Campbellton region) is an individual 20-29 and is related to travel.

The three cases in Zone 6 (Bathurst region) are as follows:

  • an individual 50-59; and
  • two people 60-69.

All three cases are out-of-province travel cases.

The one case in Zone 7 (Miramichi region) is an individual 30-39 and is an out-of-province travel case.

The number of confirmed cases in New Brunswick is 2,013. Since yesterday, three people have recovered for a total of 1,822 recoveries. There have been 41 deaths, and the number of active cases is 149. Eleven patients are hospitalized in total. Seven patients are hospitalized in New Brunswick, including two in an intensive care unit. Four patients are hospitalized out of province. Yesterday, 946 tests were conducted for a total of 305,433.

Guidelines for high school graduations

The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development released guidelines today for high school graduation ceremonies. Graduation ceremonies or activities will follow the province’s mandatory order and the operational plan of the activity’s venue, whether the event is hosted by the school or a privately owned facility. The type of ceremony that can be held will depend on which alert level the zone is in at that time. Graduation ceremonies or activities will be done virtually in the event that the province or zone moves to a Red or lockdown level. All participants must respect health and safety measures such as the number of people permitted, screening and providing information for contact tracing purposes. No school-organized proms will be permitted. More details, including examples of graduation ceremonies, are available online.

“While school-organized proms will not be possible this year, I am confident that schools and school districts will be creative in their planning, just as we saw so many rise to the occasion last year,” said Education and Early Childhood Development Minister Dominic Cardy. “I want to urge families who are planning their own celebrations to ensure they meet the standards set out in the mandatory order. Encourage your kids to be safe by following physical distancing guidelines and using masks as required.”

Confirmed cases at school and child-care facility in Hampton

A positive case of COVID-19 was confirmed at Dr. A. T. Leatherbarrow Primary School in Hampton on May 9 and the school community has been notified. Students, staff and their families have been directed by Public Health to self-isolate until 11:59 p.m. tonight while contact tracing is carried out. The school is closed today. More information on learning will be communicated directly to families by school staff.

A positive case of COVID-19 was confirmed at Go-Go After School at Hampton Elementary on May 9 and families were notified. Children, staff and their families have been told by Public Health to self-isolate until 11:59 p.m. tonight while contact tracing is carried out. The child-care facility is closed today.

If you or a family member have been in close contact with a case, you will be notified by Public Health for contact tracing. If you do not hear directly from Public Health, you have not been identified as a close contact.

Exposure notifications

Public Health follows a standard process when addressing instances where the public may have been exposed to a case of COVID-19. In cases where record-keeping can identify anyone who may have been exposed, officials contact these individuals directly and do not issue a separate announcement. In cases where officials cannot be certain of exactly who may have been exposed to the virus in a given location, Public Health issues an announcement to alert those who could have been affected and provides instructions.

Public Health has identified a potential public exposure to the virus at the following locations and dates in Zone 1 (Moncton region):

  • Pumphouse, 5 Orange Ln, Moncton on TuesdayMay 4 between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.
  • Staples, 233 Main St., Moncton on Wednesday, May 5, between noon and 8 p.m.
  • Walmart Supercentre, 477 Paul St., Dieppe on Thursday, May 6, between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m.
  • Greco Pizza, 311 Acadie Blvd., Dieppe on Friday, May 7, between 11 a.m. and 11 p.m.

Public Health has identified a positive case in a traveller who may have been infectious on May 6 while on the following flights:

  • Air Canada Flight 396 – from Edmonton to Toronto, departed at 6:50 a.m.
  • Air Canada Flight 8898 – from Toronto to Moncton, departed at 8:43 p.m.

Public Health is now offering COVID-19 testing for all New Brunswickers who have been in a public exposure area, even it they are not experiencing any symptoms. Residents may request a test online or call Tele-Care 811 to get an appointment at the nearest screening centre.

People experiencing one or more symptom are also encouraged to get tested.

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Vaccination dashboard changes

Changes will be made to the New Brunswick COVID-19 dashboard, following Health Canada’s approval of Pfizer-BioNTech for children 12 and older. Previously, only people 16 and older were eligible to eventually receive a vaccine. This means the number of New Brunswickers who will be eligible to receive a vaccine will increase to 693,386 from the previous number of about 661,500.

Because the provincial government has been tracking the number of people vaccinated as a percentage of the population who will be eligible to receive a vaccine, it will appear as though there has been a reduction in New Brunswick’s vaccine rate.

At this time, only children aged 12 to 15 who have a complex medical condition or two or more chronic conditions are eligible to have an appointment scheduled online or by calling 1-833-437-1424 to receive their first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine through the Vitalité or Horizon health networks.

A parent or guardian must schedule an appointment and provide consent for the vaccination of children under 16.

Children aged 12 to 15 who do not have chronic or complex medical conditions will become eligible for vaccination later this spring at the same time as all those under the age of 19.

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