N.B. reports 44 new COVID-19 cases Monday, as land border to Maine reopens

Canada-U.S. land border reopens After 20 months of being shuttered, the Canada-U.S. land border has finally reopened.

HALIFAX — Health officials in New Brunswick are reporting 44 new COVID-19 cases and 13 recoveries on Monday, as the total number of active cases in the province rises to 504.

Monday's new cases were identified in the following zones:

“We continue to see an increased number of cases in Zone 7, the Miramichi region,” said Dr. Jennifer Russell, chief medical officer of health. “These cases appear to be connected to two clusters of infections and Public Health is working hard to contain these outbreaks. It is important that people living in this area remain vigilant and continue to carefully follow the measures that are in place.”

According to health officials, 24 of Monday's 44 new cases, or 54.5 per cent, are unvaccinated. Two cases, or 4.5 per cent, are partially vaccinated, and 18 cases, or 41 per cent, are fully vaccinated.

The province says there are currently 17 people in hospital in New Brunswick due to COVID-19, with nine in an intensive care unit. Of those currently in hospital, 14 are unvaccinated, and three are fully vaccinated.

Of the nine people in the ICU, eight are unvaccinated, and one is fully vaccinated.

CANADA-U.S. LAND BORDER REOPENS MONDAY

As the land border between Canada and the United States reopened Monday morning, N.B. health officials are reminding the public that anyone entering New Brunswick from neighbouring Maine, or any other state or country, is subject to requirements under federal and provincial guidelines.

Travellers must comply with federal requirements on vaccination and testing. Details on travel, testing and borders are available online.

Everyone entering New Brunswick must also register their travel on the province's website. This includes New Brunswickers re-entering the province, even after a brief trip.

CASE DATA

New Brunswick has had 6,813 cumulative cases of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic.

In total, 6,187 people have recovered and 121 people have died in the province from COVID-19.

Public health says a total of 530,720 COVID-19 tests have been processed since the start of the pandemic.

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

VACCINE UPDATE

As of Monday, 86 per cent of New Brunswickers age 12 and older are fully vaccinated and 92.9 per cent have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

In total, 1,244,664 vaccine doses have been administered in New Brunswick.

All provincial government employees, staff in long-term care facilities and staff and volunteers in schools and licensed early learning and child-care facilities must be fully vaccinated by Friday, Nov. 19.

All eligible New Brunswickers can book their second dose appointments now for a date that is at least 28 days after their first dose.

POTENTIAL PUBLIC EXPOSURES

A full list of potential COVID-19 exposure notifications in New Brunswick can be found on the province's website.

Anyone with symptoms of the virus, as well as anyone who has been at the site of a possible public exposure, is urged to request a test online or call Tele-Care at 811 to get an appointment.