Almost every hospital in New Brunswick is either over its target occupancy rate for the orange level of COVID-19 recovery, or very close to it, figures from the two regional health authorities show. That is despite only one COVID-19 patient in the province being hospitalized, as of Tuesday.

Horizon Health Network and Vitalité Health Network did not respond to a request from CBC News for red-level occupancy rate targets, but five of the 15 hospitals are operating at overcapacity for any phase, with one as high as 150 per cent. The health-care system’s ability to respond to COVID-19 patients is one of the triggers considered for moving to another phase of recovery.

The Moncton, Saint John and Fredericton regions have been bumped to the more restrictive red level from orange, as of midnight Tuesday. „We’re simply not making enough progress with the current measures that are in place,” Premier Blaine Higgs said during a COVID-19 news briefing Tuesday. „We know there are more cases in these zones that exist but have not yet tested positive. And we cannot take the risk of potentially overwhelming our hospitals.”

The Horizon hospitals in the three largest cities in these zones all have inpatient occupancy rates hovering around the orange-level target of between 85 per cent and 90 per cent. The Moncton Hospital is at 87 per cent capacity, the Saint John Regional Hospital, 96 per cent and the Dr. Everett Chalmers Regional Hospital in Fredericton is at 92 per cent.

„Even a small number of new admissions can have a ripple effect throughout our health-care system, as we continue to balance high inpatient occupancy rates with limitations on staffing resources,” Geri Geldart, vice-president clinical, said in an emailed statement prior to the announcement to move the three zones to red. „Our priority is to ensure as many surgeries as possible can continue while also preserving ICU and other beds in the event of a COVID-related surge.”