New Brunswick is reporting a new case of COVID-19 in the Fredericton region, the province’s second infection in less than a week.
The government said on Sunday that the new case is a person between the ages of 50 and 59 who is now self-isolating.
The person is believed to be a close contact of a recently confirmed travel-related case.
New Brunswick’s last reported COVID-19 infection was July 15, when the government said a temporary foreign worker between the ages of 20 and 29 had tested positive for the virus.
That person is self-isolating in the Moncton area, the government said.
“Self-isolation continues to be a very important public health measure as we move through the COVID-19 pandemic,” Dr. Jennifer Russell, the province’s chief medical officer of health, said in a statement when that case was announced.
New Brunswick has recorded a total of 169 cases of the virus since the pandemic began, 163 of which are considered recovered, and two people have died.
Four cases remain active, but no one is in hospital.
New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador launched an “Atlantic bubble” on July 3, allowing residents of the four Atlantic Provinces to travel freely in the region.
New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs said Friday that his government was “strongly considering” easing travel restrictions to allow some Quebec residents living near its border to visit the province without having to self-isolate for 14 days.
Mr. Higgs said in a statement that there is a strong sense of community between those Quebec residents and the New Brunswick cities of Campbellton and Edmundston.
“We are exploring whether it is feasible to ease our border restrictions to reunite these communities, while still keeping New Brunswick residents safe,” he said.
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