New Brunswick Public Health and the provincial government are forecasting over 5000 cases of COVID-19 a day by the end of January 2022 at the peak of the Omicron-driven fifth wave and 220 active hospitalizations by early February. The number of people isolating with the virus could heavily impact the health-care system and other services and businesses.

Dr. Jennifer Russell, chief medical officer of health, is asking New Brunswickers to reduce their contacts and follow public health guidance as the health system prepares for a steep increase in cases during the coming weeks.

“We can all help and bring our expected peak down if we all reduce our contacts by seeing fewer people, distance appropriately, and wear properly fitted masks when inside; then our peak may be reduced from what would happen without any changes in public behaviour,” said Dr. Russell, at a press conference in Frederiction.

Mathieu Chalifoux, chief epidemiologist of Public Health, Dr. John Dornan, interim president and CEO of Horizon Health Network, and Dr. France Desrosiers, president and CEO of Vitalité Health Network, also participated in the news conference.

The CEOs of the regional health authorities said they are taking a provincial approach in responding to the situation. The Edmundston Regional Hospital and the Saint John Regional Hospital are closing units and reallocating staff to provide urgent and emergency services. If necessary, the CEOs said they would redeploy staff from nearby hospitals or others around the province.

“Vitalité successfully took this approach earlier in the pandemic to respond to high numbers of cases in both Edmundston and Campbellton,” said Dr. Desrosiers. “We thank the community in the northwest for their continued collaboration and want to reassure the population that their regional hospital is ready to face this challenge.”

“Horizon, Vitalité and Extra-Mural/Ambulance New Brunswick are working together to ensure critical life-saving services are available for New Brunswickers when needed,” said Dr. Dornan. “New Brunswickers can be assured that, if required, we will move swiftly to preserve our limited health-care resources and provide the necessary care.”

The Saint John Regional Hospital is currently in a crisis having experienced the highest numnber of cases during the Omicron wave, which has also led to a number of staff members needing to take time off work to isolate due to having contracted the virus. There are currently 377 health-care workers who have tested positive for COVID-19 and are isolating.

“Each day Horizon evaluates where we are in terms of staffing numbers, and what services we can safely deliver, and we prepare to make difficult decisions as required, which may result in Horizon focusing on life-saving care only,” said Dr. Dornan.