Rising COVID-19 numbers prompt New Brunswick hospitals to move to Red Alert level – CTV
Oct. 12, 2021
FREDERICTON, N.B. – Hospitals in New Brunswick are moving to the Red Alert level and postponing some non-urgent procedures because of a rapid rise in COVID-19 cases across the province.
There are more than 1,000 active reported cases of COVID-19 in New Brunswick, and as of Monday, 56 people were hospitalized with the disease, including 20 in intensive care. New Brunswick has reported 75 COVID-19-related deaths.
Hospitals in the Vitalite Health Network moved to the Red Alert level Tuesday, although the Campbellton Regional Hospital imposed emergency measures last week to address an in-hospital outbreak. Under a Red Alert designation, hospitals are able to reduce or temporarily suspend services such as elective surgeries and non-urgent X-rays and scans.
We must go to Red Alert internally so we can temporarily reduce or suspend non-essential services and thereby redeploy staff to maintain our emergency services and intensive care units and the care of patients with COVID-19 who are hospitalized,” Vitalite CEO Dr. France Desrosiers said in a statement last week.
