N.B. COVID-19 roundup: 5 deaths including someone in their 20s, students resume in-person classes
CBC
New Brunswick recorded five more COVID-related deaths Monday, including a person in their 20s, as all New Brunswick public school students returned to in-person learning for the first time since before the holiday break.
The return to classes coincides with the province's return Friday at 11:59 p.m. to the less restrictive Level 2 of the COVID-19 winter plan.
"School is the best place for kids physically and mentally," Dr. Jennifer Russell, chief medical officer of health, said during a recent COVID briefing.
"There are risks in the return to school, but I'm confident those risks are manageable," she said.
Among some of the measures in place:
Most students have been learning online at home since Jan. 11, which was initially expected to continue until Jan. 21.
When the province moved to Level 3, the most restrictive level, of the winter plan, amid soaring COVID cases and hospitalizations, students' return to schools was pushed back until Monday.
Some students with special needs attended school in-person in recent weeks, however, due to their need for extra supports.
As of Dec. 22, the latest provincial figures available from the Department of Education, 897 cases of COVID had been confirmed in 193 schools since Sept. 7.
Although Public Health used to notify schools of positive cases, conduct contact tracing and notify close contacts, while schools or school districts used to notify families of positive cases, each school district now has its own COVID dashboard, where they list schools that have at least one reported COVID case daily. It's up to families to check the lists.
The five COVID-related deaths recorded Monday include a person in their 80s in the Moncton region, Zone 1, a person in their 20s in the Saint John region, Zone 2, a person in their 80s in the Fredericton region, Zone 3, a person in their 70s in the Edmundston region, Zone 4, and a person in their 70s in the Bathurst region, Zone 6, according to the COVID dashboard.
Their deaths raise the pandemic death toll to 238.
The number of people hospitalized decreased by 12 to 152 — 68 of them for COVID and the other 84 with COVID, meaning they were already admitted for something else when they tested positive for the virus.
Last Thursday, Dr. Jennifer Russell, chief medical officer of health, said officials expected hospitalizations to peak at about 150 in mid-February.
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