HALIFAX New Brunswick reported its first case of blood-clotting in a person who received the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. Dr. Jennifer Russell, the province s chief medical officer of health, said the person is in their 30s and received the vaccine in mid-March, before the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) recommendation on March 29 to not give it to anyone younger than 55. “While every adverse reaction is unfortunate, it is important to remember that these blood clots are extremely rare,” Russell said. “The vaccine helps prevent the much higher risks associated with COVID-19 infections.” Russell said that the global frequency of VITT is low and has been estimated at about one case in 100,000 to 250,000 doses of vaccine.
FREDERICTON Health officials in New Brunswick say they are set to begin easing public health restrictions because of the slowing spread of COVID-19 in the province. Starting at 11:59 p.m. Friday, officials say residents can travel between health zones within the province and make visits to patients in hospital. We will soon be able to allow visits to patients in long-term care facilities as well, once the majority of staff and residents have received both doses of the vaccine and enough time has passed to ensure that the vaccine has had time to take effect, Premier Blaine Higgs said during a news conference Friday afternoon.
HALIFAX New Brunswick Public Health is moving two health zones in the province back to the orange phase. Dr. Jennifer Russell, New Brunswick s chief medical officer of health, said Zone 2 (Saint John region) and Zone 3 (Fredericton region) will have more relaxed restrictions as of midnight on Tuesday. Russell said she recommended this move after seeing some hopeful signs. We see the result of our efforts, Russell told a news conference in Fredericton on Monday. Russell said public health took precautions and got ahead of the curve, hoping that they could quickly transition back to orange, and that s what they are doing. The two zones were only in the red phase for one week, she said.
HALIFAX New Brunswick s top doctor says the time is now for a lockdown in the Edmundston region. Dr. Jennifer Russell, the province s chief medical officer of health, says the growth of cases in the Edmundston region (Zone 4) has reached a point where the strongest measures are needed. Two weeks ago, there were just seven cases in the region and now there are 129 active cases, including 19 new cases announced Friday. The growth of cases in this zone and the spread through several workplaces and long-term care homes has really reached a point where the strongest measures are needed, Russell said during a news conference on Friday in Fredericton. The measures being announced today are stern but they are necessary.