Twelve more New Brunswickers died from the flu during the first week of 2023, bringing this season’s total to at least 59.

It comes as provincial health officials reported a continued drop in influenza activity to start the year.

A total of 108 positive cases of influenza were reported between Jan. 1 and 7, according to Public Health.

That was compared to a total of 607 positive cases during the previous two weeks — or an average of just over 300 cases a week.

In the three weeks before that, Public Health officials reported between 711 and 1,016 cases per week.

Since the start of the flu season in late August, there have been a total of 4,253 cases — much higher than the 442 cases reported during all of last season.

There were also 30 more flu-related hospitalizations during the first week of 2022, down from a total of 99 hospitalizations during the previous two weeks.

In the three weeks before that, there were between 115 and 146 new hospitalizations per week.

Numbers so far this season are trending much higher than all of last season, which saw 92 hospitalizations and five deaths.

During the 2018-19 flu season — the last full season before the pandemic — New Brunswick reported 3,008 lab-confirmed cases of influenza, 619 hospitalizations and 38 flu deaths.