New Brunswick has reported 14 COVID-related deaths in its first monthly report on the virus, bringing the total to 897.

Public Health said COVID deaths remained “stable” over the past four weeks, between April 30 to May 27.

Two of the deaths involved people aged 50 to 69, while the remaining 12 people were aged 70 and over.

There were an average of 3.5 deaths per week over the past month. In the last weekly report, spanning April 23 to 29, Public Health reported four deaths.

A total of 39 people were hospitalized due to COVID over the past four weeks — an average of 9.8 a week — and four were admitted to intensive care.

Five people were between the ages of 20 and 59, six were between 60 and 69 years old, and 28 were aged 70 and over.

“COVID-19 hospitalizations showed an initial decrease followed by a slight increase,” said the provincial report.

The virus sent 11 people to the hospital during the last weekly report. No one was admitted to an intensive care unit.

There were 294 new PCR-confirmed cases of the virus over the past four weeks — an average of 73.5 per week — for a test positivity rate of 10.7 per cent.

In addition, there were 168 positive self-reported rapid tests (an average of 42 per week) for a monthly total of 462 cases.

“The number of confirmed cases and percent positivity remained stable throughout the reporting period,” said the report.

In the last weekly report, there were 78 positive PCR tests and 38 positive self-reported rapid tests, and the test positivity rate stood at 11 per cent.

Of the 86 PCR samples sequenced between May 3 and 16, officials said 98 per cent were the XBB variant and two per cent were BA.2.

Just over 1,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine were administered over the last month. That included 130 first doses, 131 second doses, 170 first booster doses, and 600 second booster doses.

A total of 85.9 per cent of eligible New Brunswickers have received two doses, 54.8 per cent have received a booster shot, and 30.6 per cent have received their second booster.

The next monthly report is scheduled to be released on June 27. Weekly reports will return in late September.