N.B. reports 17 new COVID-19 cases; Zone 4 lockdown begins at midnight

HALIFAX — Health officials in New Brunswick are reporting 17 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday.

The cases have been identified in the Moncton region, Saint John region, Edmundston region, and the Campbellton region.

The five cases in Zone 1 (Moncton) involve:

The one case in Zone 2 (Saint John) involves:

The 10 cases in Zone 4 (Edmundston) involve:

The one case in Zone 5 (Campbellton) involves:

All cases are self-isolating and under investigation.

“As we continue to manage our reality of COVID-19 in the province, I strongly advise everyone who is displaying COVID-19 symptoms to please get tested. Do not take chances with your health and those of your loved ones and others in the community,” said Dr. Jennifer Russell, chief medical officer of health on Saturday in a press release. “Our objective with the implementation of the lockdown measures in Zone 4 effective tonight is to reduce opportunities for transmission by having people limit their movements to the greatest extent possible. When we stop moving and interactions, we stop COVID-19.”

ZONE 4 GOES INTO LOCKDOWN AT MIDNIGHT

Zone 4 (Edmundston region) will go into lockdown effective at 11:59 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 23, under the province’s mandatory order.

A detailed list of lockdown restrictions, including what can remain open and what must close, is available online. These restrictions are expected to stay in place for a minimum of 14 days.

TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS

Travel into New Brunswick will further be restricted as of Saturday, Jan. 23. at 11:59 p.m.

Everyone entering the province will have to self-isolate for 14 days.

Exceptions will include those who travel back and forth daily for work, commercial transportation operators, and those that must travel for medical care, child care and child custody. However, most of these travellers will have to be tested weekly, and testing access will be improved to facilitate this requirement.

Travellers must ensure that their travel is registered by applying at www.gnb.ca/travelregistration.

CASE LOCATIONS

The number of cases are broken down by New Brunswick's seven health zones:

REMINDER OF RED AND ORANGE LEVEL RULES

Zones 1, 2 and 3 remain at the Red level under the province’s COVID-19 recovery plan. Zones 5, 6 and 7 remain at the Orange level.

EMERGENCY ORDER UPDATED

On Friday, New Brunswick’s state of emergency mandatory order was revised under the authority of the Emergency Measures Act.

VEHICLE TRAFFIC INFORMATION

New Brunswick's online dashboard includes information about vehicle traffic attempting to enter the province.

On Friday, 1,260 personal and 1,037 commercial vehicles attempted to cross the border into the province.

Of the vehicles attempting to cross the border, 10 were refused entry, for a refusal rate of 0.4 per cent.