COVID-19 related deaths stabilize, cases increase in N.B.: report

A scientist is seen testing a sample of the novel coronavirus in a lab. (File photo)

A New Brunswick report covering a two week period is showing signs of stability in the amount of new COVID-19 related deaths with 15 reported Wednesday.

In the final two weeks of 2022, 15 people in New Brunswick suffered COVID-19-related deaths, according to a Wednesday report from the provincial government.

The data in this week’s report covers Dec. 18 to Dec. 31, 2022.

The province is now reporting a total of 740 COVID-19-related deaths since the start of the pandemic.

HOSPITALIZATIONS

During the week leading up to Christmas, the province saw a drop in new hospital admissions for COVID-19, which was followed by an increase the next week.

The province is reporting a total of 54 new admissions, up from 51 in the last report.

As of Saturday, four individuals have been admitted into intensive care.

The province's report says, since Aug. 28, the rate of hospitalizations is highest among people aged 70 years and older.

NEW CASES

The number of new PCR-confirmed COVID-19 cases decreased over the past two weeks, compared to the previous reporting period.

The province reported 1,006 new cases over a 14 day period, compared to 647 in the last weekly report.

According to the data, 8,415 tests were completed during the current reporting period.

The regional breakdown of newly recorded COVID-19 cases is as follows:

SELF-REPORTED RAPID TESTS

New Brunswick now provides the number of positive self-reported rapid tests in each reporting period.

Between Dec. 18 and Dec. 31, 2022, 543 rapid tests were reported to health officials.

The breakdown of those tests is as follows:

COVID-19 VARIANTS IN THE PROVINCE

Health officials in New Brunswick say a recent random sample sequenced between Dec. 17 and Dec. 23 shows 98 per cent of positive cases were the BA.5 variant. The other two per cent were BA. 2 and BA. 4 variants, according to health officials.

The province says 171 specimens were used for the sample.

VACCINATIONS

As of Saturday, 90.8 per cent of people in New Brunswick had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, 85.7 per cent had at least two doses, 54.4 per cent had one booster and 28.8 per cent had two boosters.