N.B. COVID-19 roundup: 5 new cases Tuesday, Fredericton students can return to school

Five new cases of COVID-19 were reported in New Brunswick on Tuesday, four of them in the Fredericton region, and three people with the disease are in intensive care. 

Public Health says four of the new cases are close contacts of people who tested positive earlier, and they are self-isolating. They include: 

• one person 30 to 39 in the Saint John region (Zone 2).

• two people under 19 in the Fredericton region ( Zone 3).

• one individual 40 to 49 in the Fredericton region (Zone 3).

The fifth case is related to international travel and is self-isolating. It is someone 70 to 79 in the Fredericton region.

There are currently 82 active cases in the province, which has recorded a total of 541 cases during the pandemic. Some 452 people have recovered and seven people died.

A total of 134,518 tests have been completed, with 650 of those done since this time on Monday.

Fredericton High School students to return to class

Students and staff at Fredericton High School have been given the all-clear to return to in-school classes on Wednesday in accordance with their regular alternating schedule, with the exception of individuals who have been told by Public Health to self-isolate.

In a notice to families on Tuesday night, Anglophone West School District superintendent David McTimoney said that classes will resume at the school, and that Public Health continues to investigate and monitor the situation surrounding the positive case. 

He noted that two groups have been identified by Public Health. One will self-isolate, and the other will self-monitor, and both groups have heard or will be hearing from Public Health.

"To provide some perspective and knowing that approximately 2,200 staff and students call FHS home, I can share that this round of contact will impact less than 65 individuals … to self-isolate or self-monitor," McTimoney said.

Contact tracing will continue into Tuesday evening at the school, with the goal of finishing the required phone calls by the end of the night, McTimoney said.

Students at the secondary school were told late Monday night that a case of COVID-19, the school's first, had been confirmed and that they would have to stay home and take classes virtually on Tuesday.

Public Health said Tuesday that "no student-to-student transmission has been determined in any school" at this time.

Expect interruption to COVID-19 website access

The province's COVID-19 statistics-tracking dashboard system will undergo a necessary system upgrade Tuesday night. 

The upgrade is scheduled to take place between 9 p.m. and 4 a.m., and during this time users might not be able to access the dashboard, Public Health said in a news release. 

Potential public exposure warnings for Moncton

Public Health has warned of the following possible exposures to the virus in the Moncton area.

Flights into Moncton:

• Air Canada Flight 8372 on Nov. 28 from Fort McMurray to Calgary, departed 6:10 a.m
• Air Canada Flight 144 on Nov. 28  from Calgary to Toronto, departed at 11:15 a.m.
• Air Canada Flight 8918 on Nov. 28 from Toronto to Moncton, departed at 8:30 p.m.

What to do if you have a symptom

People concerned they might have COVID-19 symptoms can take a self-assessment test online. 

Public Health says symptoms shown by people with COVID-19 have included:

• A fever above 38 C.

• A new cough or worsening chronic cough.

• Sore throat.

• Runny nose.

• Headache.

• New onset of fatigue, muscle pain, diarrhea, loss of sense of taste or smell.

• Difficulty breathing.

In children, symptoms have also included purple markings on the fingers and toes.

People with one of those symptoms should:

• Stay at home.

• Call Tele-Care 811 or their doctor.

• Describe symptoms and travel history.

• Follow instructions.