COVID-19 Update
The active case count in the province dropped again yesterday to 849, thanks to 138 recoveries and 53 new cases reported. But the number of people in hospital due to COVID-19 inched up to 61, with 20 people in intensive care.
One more person died with COVID-19. Someone in their 70s in the Cambellton region passed away, bringing the total number of deaths to 91.
In Zone 1, there were 20 new cases reported on Monday, all under investigation. In fact, the origins of 51 of 53 new cases reported Monday are under investigation. Just two cases are known to be connected to previous cases.
There are 296 active cases of COVID-19 in Zone 1.
No new cases again at the Drew
The Drew Nursing Home announced some good news yesterday afternoon, with another round of COVID-19 testing of residents and staff coming back negative. Executive director Linda Shannon says Public Health may declare the outbreak over by this Friday if test results continue to be negative.
In fact, two of the three units in the nursing home have already received the all-clear. Residents in Chignecto and Beausejour units are now able to “get out and about within their units” says Shannon.
The Fundy unit will undergo testing for all staff and residents today, and results will be shared by the end of the week.
Mount A population grows again
Mount Allison University’s full-time student enrolment is up for the third year in a row. This year’s enrolment of full time students went up 3.8 per cent, with 2,288 enrolled in full time programs. There are 91 part-time students enrolled.
608 students are in their first year at Mount A this year, up by 27 since 2020.
There are 330 international students on campus this year, 57 more than last year.
Arts programs saw a significant bump of 9%, and the number enrolled in Aviation programs was up by a whopping 60%. Mount Allison offers both a Bachelor of Science in aviation, and a joint Commerce Aviation degree, in conjunction with MFC Training, the flight school in Moncton.
Mount Allison University President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Jean-Paul Boudreau said in a press release that the school has launched a number of new projects and initiatives over the past three years to help prepare students for future, sometimes unknown, career paths. Boudreau says, “this includes the launch of 20 new academic programs, increased supports for student financial aid, and commitments to ensuring our university community is welcoming and inclusive for all.”
University Club to close for renovations
The university club on the Mount Allison campus will be closing down lunch service next week for renovations. Brian Neilson and Jon McKiel alerted club regulars on Monday that work will begin on October 25th for a new roof for the historic campus building. The last day of lunch service for the foreseeable future is this Friday, October 22.
Horizon: Vaccination requirement for designated support people
Horizon Health Network has announced that designated support persons, the only people who are allowed to visit inpatients and accompany patients to outpatient appointments while Horizon is under its red alert level, must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by November 19.
The network says the measure is being taken to protect the safety of Horizon’s vulnerable patients and clients and its staff and physicians amid the increasing number of COVD-19 cases and hospitalizations, including ICU admissions.
Culture Day in Sackville
Today is Culture Day in Sackville. Students in the Arts and Culture Marketing course at Mount Allison University have put together a roster of events to celebrate Culture Days, a national celebration of arts and culture.
Starting at 3 p.m., you can tune in to CHMA for Tales and Tunes, featuring music to remind you of someone dear, and relate to different cultural backgrounds. Also at 3 p.m. until 6 p.m., students have organized Chalk Talk, where passersby can leave a drawing or message about what community means to them. There’s an art exhibit at Tweedie Hall in the Student Union Building from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., and then Recital of Culture, from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Zoom. At 7 p.m. on Zoom, there’s Film for Thought, an hour of curated short films to soothe, inspire, and connect within the community. Last but not least, there’s the first film of the Ramen Film Festival, Tampopo, showing at 7 p.m. in the Flemington Building on the Mount Allison campus.