COVID-19 kills 2 more in N.B., child and youth hospitalized

COVID-19 has killed two more New Brunswickers, while a child under four and a youth aged five to 19 are among the 19 people hospitalized for or with the virus, data released by the province Tuesday shows.

COVIDactivity remains moderate, andmost indicators remained stable during the reporting period,April 21 to April 27, theRespiratory Watch report says.

The report comes just days after theNational Advisory Committee on Immunization, known as NACI, issued its latest guidance on fall COVID-19 vaccines.

A fall dose is "strongly recommended"for people at higher risk of infection or severe disease, including seniors, people with underlying medical conditions, and those who provide essential community services, NACI said.

People aged six months or older who are not at increased risk may receive a fall dose,NACI said.

New Brunswick Public Health will review theguidance from NACI and "determinewhat recommendations it will adopt regarding eligibility criteria," said Department of Health spokesperson Sean Hatchard.

"It will communicate any COVID-19 vaccine updates as it has in the past," he said in an emailed statement Wednesday afternoon.

NACI "emphasizes the benefits of available vaccines for COVID-19 protection, and particularly for those most at risk of severe illness, as we know that protection against severe illness due to COVID-19 can wane over time," chair Dr. Robyn Harrison said in a statement Friday.

"An updated COVID-19 vaccine formulation may also be available by the fall that would better target the currently circulating strains," she said.

Spring boosters have been available since April 2to New Brunswickers considered most at risk of severe illness.

As of Tuesday,7,181 doses of the spring COVID-19 vaccine have been administered, according to the Department of Health.

Nearly 2,000 COVID vaccines were administered in the past week, raising the total to 155,620 since Oct. 4,figures from thedepartment show.

The spring doses will be available until June 15, the department has said.

4 outbreaks, 29 new cases

The two people who died from COVIDduring the reporting week wereaged 45 to 64 and 65 or older.

Their deaths raise the provincial pandemic total to at least 1,034. The actual number is unclear because the Department of Healthcounts only people who die in hospital as COVID deaths.

The19 people who were hospitalized either because of COVID or for something else and later tested positive for the virusis up from 17 in the previous report. One person was admitted to intensive care, the same number as a week ago.

In addition to the child and youth, those admitted to hospital included one person aged 20 to 44, two people aged 45 to 64 and 14 aged 65 or older, one of whom required intensive care.

The number of lab-confirmed COVID outbreaks doubledto four since the last report. One was in a nursing home and the other three were in facilities listed only as "other."

Twenty-ninenew cases of COVIDwere confirmed through polymerase chain reaction (PCR) lab tests,down from31.

The positivity rate or the percentage of lab tests performed that produced a positive result is four per cent, unchanged.

Flu sends child andyouth to hospital

No influenzadeaths were reported betweenApril 21 and April 27,but the flu sent seven people to hospital, up from six the previous week.

Among those admitted to hospital were a child under four,a youth aged five to 19, one person aged 20 to 44, oneaged 45 to 64 and three aged 65 or older.

Influenza activity remainsrelatively stable, thereport says.

Forty-two new flu cases were confirmed by lab tests,down from59, with a positivity rate of five per cent, down from seven.

Eleven of the new cases were influenza A and 31 were influenza B.

Since the respiratory season began on Aug. 27, there have been3,630 confirmed flu cases confirmed.

A total of 224,109 New Brunswickers have been vaccinated against the flu, as of Tuesday, an increase of 146 from a week ago, figures from the department show.

Horizon andVitalit

Horizon Health Network has eightactive COVID admissions, as of Saturday, down from 10 last week, according to its latest COVID report.

None are in intensive care, down from one.

Two health-care workers are off the job, after they tested positive for COVID-19, compared to one a week ago, the report says.

Horizon'sCOVID-19 outbreakpage shows one outbreak, as of Tuesday, at the Moncton Hospital's cardiology unit.

VitalitHealth Network updates its COVID report only monthly, with the next update expected on May 28.

It updates itsoutbreaks pagemore frequently, however, and lists one outbreak, as of Tuesday, at the Chaleur Regional Hospital in Bathurst, on the general medical unit.