New Brunswick reports four new deaths related to COVID-19, 140 new cases on Saturday

Health officials in New Brunswick are reporting 140 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, along with 49 recoveries, as the total number of active cases in the province rises to 764.

The latest deaths involve:

“Marcia joins with me in expressing our sympathies to the families and friends of these four people,” said Premier Blaine Higgs. “This virus is affecting New Brunswickers of all ages. Healthy younger people are getting sick as well as older individuals. Of the 140 cases announced, 88 are under 40. Those in that age bracket are less likely to end up in hospital but they still carry and can transmit the virus.”

“Four more New Brunswickers lost to the virus is a grim reminder of the continuing toll COVID-19 is taking on our communities and on people at every stage of life,” said Dr. Jennifer Russell, chief medical officer of health. “We expected cases to climb and they may continue to do so for the next little while until we see the impact of the additional measures brought in last week. Despite the increase in cases, the number of hospitalizations from COVID-19 is manageable but we also know those admissions place an extreme burden on our healthcare facilities and impact other areas of our system.”

Of the four New Brunswickers who die from COVID-19, one was a long-time firefighter in Fredericton.