N.B. COVID-19 roundup: Government provides update as province enters 5th wave
CBC
The government is providing an update on COVID-19 this morning, including the spread of the Omicron variant, the status of the health-care system, and vaccines.
It comes as New Brunswick is entering the Omicron-fuelled fifth wave of the pandemic, according to the regional health authorities.
"As we enter the fifth wave of the pandemic, [the Vitalité Health Network] is getting ready to maintain the health care system in place for New Brunswickers," Vitalité said in a "situation report" issued late Thursday afternoon.
"As a health care leader, we understand that this period can be worrisome. The network is committed to communicating proactively with the public as often as necessary," it said.
Vitalité and the Horizon Health Network both moved to the red COVID alert level on Dec. 31, providing emergency or urgent services only.
At that time, Horizon also referred in a "status report" to "dealing with a fifth wave."
"The highly contagious Omicron variant has resulted in a significant increase in the number of COVID-19 cases among our population," it said. "This has impacted Horizon's staffing levels in an already stretched health care system."
The government has made no mention of a fifth wave in its daily COVID-19 news releases.
Health Minister Dorothy Shephard and Dr. Jennifer Russell, chief medical officer of health, are participating in the 10 a.m. news conference, which is being livestreamed here on CBC New Brunswick's website and in French on the government's YouTube site.
"Please note that the province will remain in Level 2 of the COVID-19 Winter Plan at this time," a media advisory states preemptively.
Vitalité is running at 98 per cent capacity with 36 COVID patients, including 14 in intensive care, according to the situation report.
The hospital with the highest bed occupancy rate, Stella-Maris-de-Kent Hospital, at 130 per cent, has no COVID patients. Meanwhile the Edmundston Regional Hospital, which has the highest number of COVID patients, at 23, has the third lowest occupancy rate at 89 per cent.
A total of 108 Vitalité health-care workers are off because of COVID. That's up from 70 on Tuesday.
"Hundreds" of health-care workers across the province are isolating at home because of the virus, Public Health said Thursday.
P.E.I.'s Public Schools Branch is looking for 50 substitute bus drivers, and it'll be recruiting at three job fairs on Saturday, June 8. The job fairs are located at the Atlantic Superstore in Montague, Royalty Crossing in Charlottetown, and the bus parking lot of Three Oaks Senior High in Summerside. All three run from 9 a.m. until noon. Dave Gillis, the director of transportation and risk management for the Public Schools Branch, said the number of substitute drivers they're hiring isn't unusual. "We are always looking for more. Our drivers tend to have an older demographic," he said.