Coming up on the CHMA daily news:
-another police related death in Canada
-further lessening of restrictions in New Brunswick
-and profiling Nova Scotia’s mass murderer
But first:
Some sad news to report today: A person has died due to complications from COVID-19 in New Brunswick.
AUDIO CLIP Russell 21:19
“we knew it was only a matter of time before New Brunswick would suffer its first loss of life. And I’m saddened to inform you that that unfortunate day has arrived. Yesterday, an individual aged between 80 and 89, with underlying health conditions passed away at the Hamilton Regional Hospital as a result of COVID-19. This individual is one of the cases connected to the ongoing outbreak in zone five which is the Campbellton Restigouche region and had been a resident of the Manoir de la Vallee in Atholville prior to being admitted to the hospital.”
Chief Medical Officer of Health Jennifer Russell sent her condolences out to the family for their loss.
AUDIO CLIP Russell
“it has been difficult to witness The unfolding outbreak in the Campbellton Restigouche region which has gripped that community with stress and worry and now grief. But I think the ripple effects are really being felt around the entire province at this moment in time. I think there is an apprehension that this could happen elsewhere. And it is true it could happen elsewhere. And so for that very reason, we need to wrap our arms around that community and support them as we would want to be supported. If and when a covert outbreak happens in our community.”
One more person has tested positive with COVID-19 in New Brunswick––a person in their twenties who worked at Manoir de la Vallee in Atholville.
There remains 15 active cases in the province, all in the Campbellton region.
Four people are in hospital, and one is in intensive care.
Testing levels in New Brunswick appears to be dropping back down to pre-outbreak levels.
Public Health reported 508 new test results yesterday, less than half of what they reported the day before.
Chief Medical Officer of Health Jennifer Russell says that staff at all long term care homes in the Campbellton region are being tested, though not residents.
Staff are no longer allowed to work in more than one long term care home.
Russell expressed gratitude to those working in health care in Zone 5:
AUDIO CLIP Russell 27:20
We have called on healthcare workers to come from around the province. Just like firemen rushing into a fire there are people going there to help and they may be scared but they’re very courageous and I want to acknowledge the work that is being done to make sure that the Campbellton hospital is being staffed properly and the Manoir de la Vallee is being staffed properly. These are very courageous people who are going into a situation that they know has risks. They’re willing to take those risks and I commend them, and they also need our support
Premier Blaine Higgs confirmed the further lifting of restrictions happening today in the province.
Outdoor gatherings of up to 50 people and indoor religious services with up to 50 people are now allowed.
More elective surgeries and non-emergency medical procedures can now happen.
Low-contact team sports may start up again.
This phase also includes the opening of swimming pools, water parks, gyms, rinks, yoga and dance studios, and other indoor recreational facilities.
Higgs also had an important announcement for residents of long term care homes and adult residential facilities:
AUDIO CLIP Higgs 36:23
As part of the further loosening of restrictions in the phase, we will allow outdoor visits of up to two visitors at a time. We recognize that not every facility will be able to do this, but we want to be able to give them the option to do so if they can. For the visits to take place, there must be sufficient outdoor space to allow physical distancing of two meters or six feet from the resident, and this distance must be maintained throughout the visit. If this goes well, on June 19, controlled indoor visitations in hospitals, nursing homes, special care homes, and adult residential facilities will begin
Facilities will be required to develop a plan to manage visitations.
Higgs also announced some further loosening scheduled for June 19th.
In two weeks time, overnight camps will be allowed to open, and Canadians with property in New Brunswick will be allowed to come to the province, provided they self-isolate for 14 days.
Anyone with close family in New Brunswick will also be allowed to travel to the province, as long as they self-isolate for 14 days upon arrival.
Higgs says that talks continue with other Atlantic provinces about a regional bubble, but that a bubble with PEI is likely to happen first.
Higgs says he is cautiously optimistic about the province’s next step toward loosened restrictions, in light of the recent death and outbreak in Campbellton:
AUDIO CLIP Higgs 45:13
Dr. Russell had said many times that you know, we want to be able to move in do rapid testing and understand and contain the spread at this point. Certainly the the understanding is yes, we do know where it is it is contained. And we need to move on with the rest of the province and hopefully, we will be able to move on in this region in the coming in the coming weeks
In Nova Scotia, another person has died with COVID-19.
A man in his seventies who was not a resident of a long term care home passed away.
61 people have died with the disease in Nova Scotia.
The province reported no new cases of COVID-19 yesterday.
A woman has been shot and killed by a police officer in Edmundston.
In the wee hours of Thursday morning, Edmundston city police responded to a call to check on the wellbeing of a woman.
A police media release says, “the responding police officer was confronted at the scene by a woman holding a knife who made threats.”
The officer then shot the woman, and she died at the scene.
According to family, the victim is Chantel Moore, a 26 year old Indigenous woman from British Columbia.
The family released a statement Thursday hoping for an investigation to be “carried out justly and expeditiously.”
The family also asked for privacy as they grieve this “tragic, incomprehensible loss.”
The death comes a week after Regis Korchinski Paquet was killed in Toronto after her family called police for help with a mental health related issue.
Her death has sparked protests and calls for de-funding the police.
[NOTE: Past tense for Mahalia]
Anti-racism marchers are gathering [gathered] again today in Moncton in what organizers have called “a march to heal us all”.
People are meeting [met]across the street from the Moncton courthouse at 12pm and will walk [walked] to Heritage Court, finishing at Moncton City Hall.
On Monday, about 350 people marched in Moncton to protest racial injustice.
In Sackville on Wednesday, about 300 people gathered for a silent vigil in solidarity with Black Lives Matter.
In an RCMP news conference Thursday, police shared findings on the psychological profile of the gunman who killed 22 people in Nova Scotia on April 18th and 19th.
RCMP Superintendent Darren Campbell described the gunman as an “injustice collector” whose grudges built up over time and eventually exploded in horrific violence.
Campbell said a behavioural analysis of the killer determined he targeted some victims for perceived slights, though many others were chosen at random.
Campbell said preliminary work by RCMP profilers and a forensic psychologist shows the shooter was “one who held onto conflict or differences with others, turning them inward until they boiled over in rage.”
He said a psychological autopsy is in the works, which will help police better understand the contributing factors behind one of the worst mass killings in Canadian history.
That’s it for the CHMA daily news.
Thanks to Geoff Degannes for his contributions.
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