New Brunswick’s two health authorities are reporting a drop in the number of active COVID-19 hospitalizations.
The latest figures show 168 people in the hospital as of Saturday, which includes 19 in intensive care.
Horizon Health reported 106 active admissions (15 ICU cases) and Vitalité Health had 62 active admissions (four ICU cases).
That is down from the 192 hospitalizations and 21 ICU admissions reported by the health authorities earlier last week.
The figures include those hospitalized for COVID and those with the virus being treated primarily for other conditions.
Meanwhile, the latest weekly COVIDWATCH update from Public Health showed 87 people in the hospital for COVID-19 as of Saturday, an increase of eight. The number of people in an ICU for COVID-19 climbed by seven to 13.
There were 74 new hospital admissions for COVID over the past week compared to 102 new admissions the previous week. Three of those new admissions involved people under the age of 20.
Public Health reported six more deaths attributed to COVID-19 over the past week. The deaths involved people 70 or older in the Moncton and Campbellton health zones.
According to the two health authorities, 367 health care workers are off the job due to COVID-19 — either because they tested positive for the virus or were a close contact with someone who did. One week earlier, that number stood at 424.
The number of reported positive cases of COVID-19 is also down. Officials reported nearly 4,000 positive test results over the past week — including 1,988 PCR tests and 1,976 rapid tests — compared to more than 5,600 the week earlier.
