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Public Health says a confirmed the first case of the COVID-19 India variant in the province. The case is in the Fredericton River Valley region and had been previously reported. The confirmation of the strain of the variant came from the Georges Dumont Hospital lab.

The India variant is listed as a double mutant of the COVID virus and is considered extremely contagious and dangerous.

Meantime – there are 7 new COVID cases in the province today including three here in the Saint John region. All three of these cases are contacts of previously confirmed cases. There are 2 cases in the Fredericton River Valley region with one a contact of a previously confirmed case while the other is under investigation. In Edmundston – there are two new cases today – both are contacts of previously confirmed cases.

Public Health says 15 people have been listed as recovered since yesterday with the total number of active cases now at 122 including 18 here in the Saint John region. Seven patients are currently in hospital with three of those in intensive care. The COVID death toll remains at 35.