The annual Santa's Helpers telethon took place on Sunday and raised a record-breaking $75,500 for families in need in Charlotte County. This was the 51st edition of the annual fundraiser which provides gifts and meals for local families over the holidays, and the third time the fundraiser was televised on CHCO featuring performances from local elementary school choirs from St. Stephen, Milltown, St. Andrews, Lawrence Station and Campobello. The event was a true community effort that will help approximately 200 families and 400 children from Charlotte County have a more joyful holiday season.

The highly contagious Omicron variant arrived in New Brunswick this week, amid already high daily case numbers in the province. The first cases in the province are linked to the outbreak at St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia, and Dr. Russell expects more cases to follow. 

"New Brunswick has entered a new phase of the pandemic," said Dr. Jennifer Russell, Chief Medical Officer of New Brunswick.

The Dr. Georges-L.-Dumont University Hospital Centre’s microbiology laboratory in Moncton identified the three samples as positive for the COVID-19 Omicron variant. Another four cases have been identified as presumptive Omicron. All are connected to the current outbreak in Antigonish, Nova Scotia.

The Omicron variant is projected to be the dominant variant in a matter or weeks in some parts of the country and in a matter of days in others. Scientists have already determined that people who've recovered from COVID-19 possess no natural immunity to this mutation and can be reinfected with this variant.

“The Omicron variant is suggested to be 30 per cent more transmissible than the Delta variant and it is likelier to bypass any natural immunity an individual might have from previous infections,” said Dr. Russell. “This is very concerning. I encourage everyone to get their vaccinations as they become eligible and adhere to Public Health measures. Doing so will help protect yourself and your community while reducing the spread of the virus.”

Premier Blaine Higgs announced new measures to contain the variant and also slow the spread of the already high case numbers in the province. As of Friday, New Brunswickers must once again limit their list of close contacts to a steady 20. Entertainment centres and casinos, must operate at 50 per cent capacity with physical distancing. Restaurants can also continue to offer dine-in options as long as there is two-metre distancing between tables.

"I know that people are concerned, as am I," Premier Higgs said. "The holiday season is here and with more people gathering and socializing, it is vital that we work together to slow the spread of COVID-19 in our province, as we have done before, while still finding a balance of living with COVID."

The Christmas holiday break for students in kindergarten to Grade 6 will begin a week early to allow more kids in the 5 to 11 age group to get vaccinated. All sports activities for children under 12 are now suspended as well as sports competitions and games for those 12 and over. 

Premier Higgs said he would also consider funding the Campobello Island ferry to continue running into the new year if the situation worsens. The ferry is scheduled to end its service the last week of December and is the island's only link to the mainland that doesn't require travelling through the United States.