New Brunswick reports 9 new COVID-19 cases, confirms outbreak at 2nd special care home

New Brunswick reported nine new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday and declared an outbreak at Résidence Rolande Long, a special care home in Edmundston, in Zone 4.

This is the second special care home that public health declared to be facing an outbreak after it declared another at Foyer St-Jacques on April 1.

“Members of the Provincial Rapid Outbreak Management Team are on-site providing support for residents and the facility’s care team,” the province said in a release.

The province also noted that the outbreak at Résidence Rolande Long was announced after one recent COVID-19 case was confirmed.

READ MORE: New Brunswick reports 10 new COVID-19 cases, confirms outbreak at special care home

As of Saturday, public health said that two of the new nine cases are in Zone 2 (Saint John region) and the other seven cases have been confirmed in Zone 4 (Edmundston region).

All but two of the cases are contacts of a previously confirmed case. The other two are under investigation.

The number of confirmed cases in New Brunswick is 1,641. Since Friday, three people have recovered for a total of 1,457 recoveries.

There have been 30 deaths, and the number of active cases is 153. Fourteen patients are hospitalized including six in an intensive care unit.

On Friday, 980 tests were conducted for a total of 260,393.

“With the increasing number of COVID-19 patients being admitted to hospitals and intensive care units, and while it is consistent with the U.K. variant and what other provinces have been recently experiencing, it is very concerning and thus imperative that we remain vigilant until all New Brunswickers are vaccinated,” said Dr. Jennifer Russell, chief medical officer of health.

According to the province, no travel is recommended in and out of Zone 4 except when necessary, such as for medical appointments and essential work. This recommendation includes no travel to hockey games or other sporting events in other zones.