A physical distancing sign along a walking trail in Fredericton, on Feb. 4, 2021.Stephen MacGillivray/The Canadian Press
Public health restrictions across New Brunswick will be eased this Monday morning because COVID-19 infections are on a steady trend downward, health officials announced Friday.
The province’s chief medical officer of health, however, said the decision to shift the entire province to the less-restrictive yellow level comes with a caveat. Jennifer Russell warned that if infections spike over the weekend, the decision to ease restrictions will be “revisited.”
“I am concerned about the rising number of active cases in the Miramichi region,” she told reporters.
Russell also confirmed that with the expected arrival of the province’s first shipment of the two-dose Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine later this month, the province plans to provide one dose of COVID-19 vaccine to every New Brunswicker before the end of June.
Similar announcements have been made in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador.
Canada pre-purchased millions of doses of seven different vaccine types, and Health Canada has approved four so far for the various provincial and territorial rollouts. All the drugs are fully effective in preventing serious illness and death, though some may do more than others to stop any symptomatic illness at all (which is where the efficacy rates cited below come in).
- Also known as: Comirnaty
- Approved on: Dec. 9, 2020
- Efficacy rate: 95 per cent with both doses in patients 16 and older, and 100 per cent in 12- to 15-year-olds
- Traits: Must be stored at -70 C, requiring specialized ultracold freezers. It is a new type of mRNA-based vaccine that gives the body a sample of the virus’s DNA to teach immune systems how to fight it. Health Canada has authorized it for use in people as young as 12.
- Also known as: SpikeVax
- Approved on: Dec. 23, 2020
- Efficacy rate: 94 per cent with both doses in patients 18 and older, and 100 per cent in 12- to 17-year-olds
- Traits: Like Pfizer’s vaccine, this one is mRNA-based, but it can be stored at -20 C. It’s approved for use in Canada for ages 12 and up.
- Also known as: Vaxzevria
- Approved on: Feb. 26, 2021
- Efficacy rate: 62 per cent two weeks after the second dose
- Traits: This comes in two versions approved for Canadian use, the kind made in Europe and the same drug made by a different process in India (where it is called Covishield). The National Advisory Committee on Immunization’s latest guidance is that its okay for people 30 and older to get it if they can’t or don’t want to wait for an mRNA vaccine, but to guard against the risk of a rare blood-clotting disorder, all provinces have stopped giving first doses of AstraZeneca.
- Also known as: Janssen
- Approved on: March 5, 2021
- Efficacy rate: 66 per cent two weeks after the single dose
- Traits: Unlike the other vaccines, this one comes in a single injection. NACI says it should be offered to Canadians 30 and older, but Health Canada paused distribution of the drug for now as it investigates inspection concerns at a Maryland facility where the active ingredient was made.
How many vaccine doses do I get?
All vaccines except Johnson & Johnson’s require two doses, though even for double-dose drugs, research suggests the first shots may give fairly strong protection. This has led health agencies to focus on getting first shots to as many people as possible, then delaying boosters by up to four months. To see how many doses your province or territory has administered so far, check our vaccine tracker for the latest numbers.
“We are making adjustments to our plan that will allow us to vaccinate more New Brunswickers in a shorter time frame,” New Brunswick Health Minister Dorothy Shephard said Friday.
“We will have more information about the updated plan very soon.”
Canada vaccine tracker: How many COVID-19 doses have been administered so far?
The minister said the past two months have been difficult for the province, with the COVID-19 caseload rising after the holidays and the arrival last month of the U.K variant. Lockdowns were imposed in some areas and some businesses were forced to shut down as travel was restricted.
“We were not able to spend time with many of our family members and close friends,” Shephard said.
“But once again, our province has gotten back on the right track.”
The new timing also reflects recent recommendations from the National Advisory Committee of Immunization, which said provinces should wait four month between doses when faced with a limited supply, in order to quickly immunize as many people as possible.
Russell said New Brunswickers have been through a lot of turmoil in the past year, and she encouraged residents to look after their mental health and reach out to others who are struggling.
“We have now spent a full year on this COVID-19 roller coaster,” she said. “With hope one day and sorrow the next, many of us have been left feeling weary and depleted. COVID fatigue is real, no matter where you live.”
Meanwhile, the shift to the yellow level, which takes effect at 11:59 p.m. Sunday night, includes a number of new rules.
Residents will be allowed to expand their “steady 10” group of close contacts to a “steady 15.” That group can visit venues together, including dining out at restaurants. There are also new rules about sports teams, tournaments and formal indoor and outdoor gatherings.
Russell reported three new cases in the Miramichi area and one in the Fredericton region on Friday.
The province has 33 active reported cases and three people in hospital with the disease, including two in intensive care. The total number of confirmed cases since the pandemic was declared stood at 1,447 on Friday, which includes 1,385 recoveries and 28 deaths.
With a number of new cases appearing earlier this week in the Miramichi region – and confirmation that the U.K. variant is present – a mass testing clinic has been set up at the Dr. Losier Middle School in Miramichi. The clinic was to remain open Friday and Saturday for individuals who do not have any symptoms of COVID-19 but want to be tested.
Premiers say federal COVID-19 vaccine procurement delays have left them no choice but to stretch out the time between doses. British Columbia announced Monday it would allow up to four months between doses. Several other provinces followed suit after a national panel of vaccine experts recommended such an extension would be appropriate if supplies are limited.
The Canadian Press
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