N.B. public health reminds people of 75 per cent vaccination target to 'go green'; nine new cases confirmed

N.B. sets out course to recovery As long as province meets immunization targets, public health restrictions will be lifted by Aug. 2. Jennifer Basa reports.

HALIFAX — With a June 7 target date to relax pandemic restrictions, New Brunswick Public Health is encouraging people who have not yet received their first dose of a vaccination to book an appointment.

On Thursday, the province announced a tentative plan to return to the Green level of restrictions in its COVID-19 recovery plan.

"The plan includes three phases to slowly loosen restrictions, with target dates based on anticipated vaccination rates and low numbers of COVID-19 hospitalizations," public health wrote in a news release. "The first target for relaxing restrictions is June 7 if 75 per cent of New Brunswickers aged 12 and older have received their first vaccination dose and if hospitalizations are manageable."

The plan is available online.

"If you have not yet had your first dose you can book an appointment through Vitalité or Horizon health network clinics or through a participating pharmacy," said Dr. Jennifer Russell, New Brunswick's chief medical officer of health.

Anyone 12 or older is now eligible for an appointment for the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

VACCINATION RATE RISING AMONG STAFF AT LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES

The vaccination rates among staff at New Brunswick's 563 long-term care facilities are rapidly increasing.

The number of facilities with less than 50 per cent of staff vaccinated dropped from 99 to 86 since Thursday and as of Friday, all 70 nursing homes have staff vaccination rates above 50 per cent.

"This rapid progress is no surprise to me or to staff at the department,” said Social Development Minister Bruce Fitch. "We know the workers at these facilities are dedicated to protecting and serving our most vulnerable seniors. I encourage anyone working at these facilities who has not already made a vaccination appointment to do so as soon as possible."

Information on vaccination rates in long-term care facilities is available online.

NINE NEW CASES OF COVID-19

Public health reported nine new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, including a travel-related case of a New Brunswicker who is isolating outside the province.

Here is a breakdown of the new cases:

Three people have recovered since Thursday so there are 139 active cases in New Brunswick.

Seven people are in hospital, with six of those hospitalized in New Brunswick -- including two in intensive care. One patient is hospitalized out of province and is in intensive care.

There have been 2,181 positive cases and 43 deaths since the pandemic began.

On Thursday, public health staff conducted 1,682 tests raising the total since the pandemic began to 331,080.