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Data from NB COVID-19 Dashboard. Chart: Erica Butler<\/p><\/div>\n
FLU-LIKE SYMPTOMS ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE COVID-19, SAYS RUSSELL<\/strong><\/p>\n Testing slowed down yesterday, with only 1,124 tests conducted, 248 of those in Zone 1.<\/p>\n Russell put several plugs in for testing, asking people not ignore mild symptoms, and go get assessed.<\/p>\n \u201cWe learned a hard lesson over the holidays about how quickly the virus can be spread through gatherings,\u201d she said. \u201cEspecially if people ignore very mild symptoms and go don\u2019t get tested.\u201d<\/p>\n Russell also pointed out that any flu-like symptoms, usually very common at this time of year, are more than likely not the flu, because of the near disappearance of that virus this year.<\/p>\n \u201cThere has only been one case of influenza detected in New Brunswick so far this year,\u201d said Russell. \u201cNormally we see between 300 and 600 hospitalizations for flu season, and this year we have zero hospitalizations from the flu.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo if you have symptoms that you would normally associate with a cold or flu, please get tested,\u201d said Russell. \u201cIt is more likely that you have COVID-19.\u201d<\/p>\n UPDATE ON UK VARIANT TESTING<\/strong><\/p>\n Not all positive COVID-19 samples will be screened for the UK Variant, which was identified recently in three of New Brunswick\u2019s cases.<\/p>\n Testing for COVID-19 variants happens at the National Microbiology Lab in Winnipeg, and Russell said the province sends samples from cases they consider to be higher risk for variants.<\/p>\n \u201cWe do have criteria to identify people that we think are higher risk,\u201d said Russell. \u201cAnd that\u2019s going to continue to evolve.\u201d<\/p>\n The variants will become \u201cincreasingly problematic,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cOver the course of three months, we will see the variants, the UK variant anyway, replace the current version of COVID-19,\u201d said Russell.<\/p>\n In addition to testing high risk samples, the province also does something called sentinel testing, where they pick random samples from each of the seven health zones each week. That\u2019s how the variant case was found in the Mirimachi health zone, said Russell. It was a randomly selected case that was sent in.<\/p>\n New Brunswick is currently waiting on the results of 36 samples, said Russell. A total of 178 samples have been sent to Winnipeg since December 23. 139 came back negative, and three came back positive.<\/p>\n RETURN TO YELLOW NOT AN OPTION AT THIS TIME, SAYS SHEPHARD<\/strong><\/p>\n Health Minister Dorothy Shephard also spoke Thursday, offering sympathy, but no relief to rotational workers who are now required to self-isolate away from their families, creating near perpetual isolation for some.<\/p>\n \u201cI understand that we are asking a lot when we say that travellers, including rotational workers, must self isolate for 14 days away from their loved ones,\u201d said Shephard. \u201cI\u2019m not going to pretend this is easy. It\u2019s painful, and it may not seem fair. But COVID-19 does not have a sense of fairness.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI want to be clear, the problem is not rotational workers themselves. The problem is that all travellers are susceptible to the virus,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Shephard also addressed those wondering when the province might return to the fondly remembered yellow phase of restrictions, which is currently under revision to address new challenges posed by coronavirus variants. The minister did not provide much hope.<\/p>\n \u201cWhile I know we would all like to see the province go back to yellow,\u201d she said, \u201cthat is not an option at this time. We need to get some restrictions in place while we get outbreaks under control. And we need time to ensure COVID-19 variants are not spreading.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFor now, our goal is to move the entire province to the orange alert level as soon as we can,\u201d said Shephard.<\/p>\n Hear this story as reported on\u00a0Tantramar Report<\/a>:<\/em><\/p>\n\n