New Brunswick has reported 15 COVID-related deaths in its latest monthly report on the virus, bringing the total to 928.

Public Health said COVID deaths remained “stable” over the past four weeks, between June 25 and July 22.

All of the newly-reported deaths involved people aged 70 and over, according to the latest report.

There were an average of 3.8 deaths per week over the past month, compared to four deaths per week in the previous monthly report.

There were nine people hospitalized due to COVID over the past four weeks, although none were admitted to intensive care. That compared to 23 hospitalizations and three ICU admissions during the previous four weeks.

The hospitalizations involved one person between the ages of 20 and 59, one person aged 60 to 69, and seven people aged 70 and over.

Public Health no longer includes information on how many people are currently in the hospital because of COVID-19.

However, the two regional health authorities reported 26 people in the hospital as of July 22, with no one in intensive care.

• Horizon Health: 24 active hospitalizations and zero in intensive care, compared to 20 active admissions and two in intensive care one month earlier.
• Vitalité Health: two active hospitalizations and zero in intensive care, compared to four active admissions and zero in intensive care one month earlier.

Unlike the provincial data, which only accounts for those who are admitted to the hospital for COVID-19, the regional health authorities also include the number of patients who are initially admitted for another reason and later test positive for the virus.

There were 108 new PCR-confirmed cases of the virus over the past four weeks for a test positivity rate of 5.4 per cent.

In addition, there were 59 positive self-reported rapid tests for a monthly total of 167 cases.

“The number of confirmed cases slightly decreased while percent positivity showed an initial decrease followed by an increase during the final week of the reporting period,” said the report.

In the last monthly report, there were 211 positive PCR tests and 96 positive self-reported rapid tests, and the test positivity rate stood at 8.5 per cent.

Of the 20 PCR samples sequenced between June 23 and July 13, officials said all of them were the XBB variant.

There were 500 doses of COVID-19 vaccine administered over the last month. That included 105 first doses, 85 second doses, 104 first booster doses, and 206 second booster doses.

A total of 85.9 per cent of eligible New Brunswickers have received two doses, 54.9 per cent have received a booster shot, and 30.7 per cent have received their second booster.

The next monthly report is scheduled to be released on Aug. 29. Weekly reports will return in late September.