Two new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in the county on Friday, both of which are in Campbellton County, District 5.
The cases include one person in their 40s and one in their 70s, and according to the county, both people isolate themselves.
The province also reported eight recoveries from the new coronavirus.
This brings the total number of active cases to 75, and there have been a total of 324 cases of COVID-19 with 245 recoveries and four deaths.
On Thursday, 548 tests were carried out, bringing the total number of tests to 95,584.
The Prime Minister is confident that Region 5 can deal with the virus
As Restigouche County residents approach the weekend under a more restricted or recovering orange phase, Prime Minister Blaine Higgs says the region is on the verge of returning to the red phase as more positive cases of COVID-19 are announced.
After looking at the numbers, public health recommendations and where to find the balance, the prime minister said the government decided to limit interaction in the Campbellton area to single household bubbles to see if that would help limit the spread of the virus.
Higgs he and others said, “Can we handle this?” So we think we can, but we won’t do it without the population being a part of it.
Three new cases were announced Thursday in the Campbellton area, or District 5, which now has 55 active cases and 300 people are in self-isolation.
There are four separate chains of infection in the region that cannot be linked, which is a strong indication of the virus spreading in society, said Dr. Jennifer Russell, chief medical officer of health.
Mass testing will be conducted on Saturday and Sunday in Zone 5 as a means of public health to get a more accurate picture of the spread of the virus in the community. Russell said Public Health will have the data from two days of testing by Tuesday.
People without symptoms will be tested on Saturday at the Regional Civic Memorial Center in Campbellton and on Sunday at Inch Arran Arena in Dalhousie. The test will be conducted from 9 am-7pm every day.
This test is not limited to people who have symptoms, as they will follow the usual route of testing in the test center.
Many questions from the audience to Higgs, Russell
Prime Minister Blaine Higgs and Medical Director of Health Dr. Jennifer Russell answered questions about COVID from New Brunswick residents on CBC New Brunswick Morning info Offers.
One of the most touching calls came from Edwina Baldwin. She said she has not been able to touch her husband, in a nursing home and in the late stages of Alzheimer’s disease, since the county closed on March 15.
While she was able to visit him, the distance between them must be six feet and supervised, and she cannot touch him, despite the September 2 announcement that nursing home residents are now permitted to hug one particular person.
Baldwin said, “Why can’t I touch my husband’s hand? I call after that he’s going to be on his way.”
Russell explained that it is up to each home to determine how to handle visits with the family, based on the home’s operational plan and directions from Public Health.
“Obviously, I find it really sad,” Russell said.
The test is possible for basic workers
After answering a question about traveling outside of the Atlantic bubble, Higgs said the government is looking into putting in place new measures to test essential workers returning to New Brunswick.
Right now, those workers who come into the county from outside the bubble aren’t required to self-isolate for 14 days, as most other people do. Higgs said the county is planning a testing program.
“We’ll do that maybe on Day 1 and Day 10,” Higgs said, “but we’re going to work out some formulas out there. Basically we’ll keep in touch and we’ll do the test just to be sure.”
Another caller asked when the province would see a rapid test similar to the pilot project being tested in Alberta that would test essential workers coming to Canada.
If the test comes back negative within 48 hours, the person is not required to self-isolate but will have to take another test on the sixth or seventh day after arrival.
Test project participants will be closely monitored with daily symptom checks and asked to follow preventive health measures such as wearing masks in public places and avoiding visiting at-risk groups.
Russell said her department will monitor what happens in Alberta to see if the ultimate goal of expanding it to other travelers can be met.
“Meanwhile, as you know, we have to, the prime minister said, follow public health directives at the moment.”
The Campbellton business community is suffering
Luc Couturier said people in Campbellton are scared because the area continues to deal with the COVID-19 outbreak.
“We put our guards on the ground and this is what happens.”
Couturier owns and operates a family restaurant, Cafe Chez Wes, who is president of the Downtown Campbellton business group, and is a member of the board of directors of the Restigouche Chamber of Commerce. He says companies have been hit hard, including his own.
“I’ve lost 50 to 60 percent of my clients in a week or so. Business is very slow right now.”
In addition to losing customers due to the suspension of the small bubble with the Avignon region of Quebec on October 8, Couturier said that some companies are now dealing with the shutdown due to restrictions under the Orange Phase.
“We are already seeing companies downtown that will close their doors soon. They can’t keep up.”
Couturier said he is frustrated when he hears Prime Minister Higgs’ claims that the economy is doing well in the county.
“Well, I’m sorry sir, but get out of your office, go to the malls and go downtown. Business is suffering.”
As a small business owner, Couturier said it was unacceptable for them not to be offered any help by the government.
What to do if you have symptoms
People concerned about the possibility of developing symptoms of COVID-19 can take a self-assessment test at the government’s website gnb.ca.
Public Health says the symptoms that people with COVID-19 exhibited included: a fever higher than 38 ° C, a new or worsening chronic cough, sore throat, runny nose, headache, a new emergence of fatigue, a new appearance of muscle pain, diarrhea, and loss. Sense of taste or smell, and difficulty breathing.
In children, symptoms also included purple markings on the fingers and toes.
People who experience one of these symptoms should:
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