FREDERICTON — New Brunswick issued a call on Tuesday for volunteers to help with the province's pandemic response.
The Omicron variant of the novel coronavirus is causing a rise in hospitalizations and health-care staff shortages, Health Minister Dorothy Shephard said in a statement.
"We are asking anyone who can assist with clinical and non-clinical work to come forward," Shephard said, adding that the government needed people for paid and unpaid work.
About 347 health-care workers in the province were isolating Tuesday after testing positive for COVID-19, according to the government.
"We need your help," Shephard said. "Whether you are retired, non-practising or unlicensed — if you have experience that can help, please reach out to us."
She said the government would provide training and personal protective equipment.
Officials on Tuesday reported three COVID-19 deaths in the Bathurst region, which brought the total number of deaths in the province attributed to the virus to 192. There were 113 people in hospital with the disease, a number unchanged from the prior day. Fifteen people were in intensive care.
The province is under Level 3 public health restrictions, which includes a ban on private gatherings and the closure of restaurant dining rooms.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 18, 2022.
The Canadian Press
