FREDERICTON —
Another sharp jump in the number of COVID-19 cases in New Brunswick forced more than a dozen schools to close on Monday.

The growing number of closures follows reports on the weekend indicating the province’s latest surge in infections is showing no signs of letting up.

Health officials on Sunday reported 93 new cases and two virus-related deaths, bringing the pandemic’s overall death toll in the province to 66.

As of Sunday, the province was dealing with 759 active cases, which is more than triple the number in neighbouring Nova Scotia.

Meanwhile, New Brunswick is also reporting a rising number of hospitalizations, with 45 people in hospital with COVID-19 and 20 in intensive care — numbers that are roughly four times higher than in Nova Scotia.

On Saturday, New Brunswick reported its highest single-day increase for COVID-19 infections, with 140 new cases recorded and an additional four deaths attributed to the virus.

In Nova Scotia, health authorities reported 86 new cases over the weekend, with 77 per cent of them reported in the central zone, which includes Halifax. New cases were also reported in the province’s other three health zones.

The 67 new cases in the central zone are linked to community spread, primarily among unvaccinated people aged 20 to 40 who are taking part in social activities, the province said.

As well, seven Nova Scotia schools were notified of COVID-19 exposures on the weekend. No schools have been closed, but about a dozen have imposed limits on non-essential visitors, extracurricular activities and movement within buildings.

The province issued a statement Monday stressing that the school exposures do not mean the virus is spreading within the school or that the initial cases were first exposed to the virus in a school.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 4, 2021.