N.B. COVID-19 roundup: 'Path to green' unveiled, 9 new cases

New Brunswick unveiled its "path to green" and announced nine new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday.

Health Minister Dorothy Shephard said all restrictions could be lifted by Aug. 2, New Brunswick Day, if 75 per cent of the eligible population aged 12 and over have been fully vaccinated by then and COVID-related hospitalizations remain manageable.

"Green is coming," she said, calling it "exciting."

"I'm sure some questioned whether this day would ever arrive."

The first phase of the three-phase plan will begin June 7 if at least 75 per cent of the eligible population has received their first dose of a COVID vaccine and all zones are at the yellow COVID alert level, said Shephard.

If those conditions are met, a number of changes will come into effect, including no mandatory isolation or testing for those travelling within Atlantic Canada and the border Quebec regions of Avignon and Témiscouata, with the exception of Nova Scotia. Travel registration will still be required.

Compassionate travel, such as travel related to end of life, funerals, and providing or receiving care, including child care not otherwise available, will be permitted for individuals from outside Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Avignon, and Témiscouata, but they will be required to isolate and take a COVID-19 test between days five and seven, with negative results, before they can discontinue isolation.

Cross-border commuters and truckers will no longer be subject to testing and isolation requirements.

Other workers, including rotational workers, travelling from outside Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Avignon and Témiscouata, and those moving to New Brunswick and New Brunswickers who travel outside of the area, with isolation and negative testing between days five and seven, unless that person is under an existing work isolation plan. Households will be required to isolate unless the individual isolates separately.

In addition, the steady 15 will be eliminated. New Brunswickers will be allowed contact with all family and friends in yellow alert levels.

Indoor informal gatherings will be limited to 20 people, while indoor formal gatherings can be up to 50 per cent capacity with an operational plan. Outdoor gatherings are permitted with two metres of distancing.

Organized sporting activities will be permitted, with games and competitions restricted to players and teams based in Atlantic Canada, Avignon and Témiscouata.

Faith gatherings will also be permitted with an operational plan of up to 50 per cent venue capacity and the choir four metres away from the congregation.

This is about giving everyone the strength to stay on course for a few more weeks.- Jennifer Russell, chief medical officer of health

Phase 2 will begin July 1 if at least 20 per cent of New Brunswickers aged 65 or over have received their second dose, Shephard said.

Registration for travel within Atlantic Canada, Avignon and Témiscouata will no longer be required, and Nova Scotia will be included in the bubble.

Travellers from across Canada with at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine will be allowed into the province with no isolation required. The same will apply to travellers from Maine, pending changes to the federal regulations, Shephard said.

Those who have not been vaccinated will also be permitted to enter the province, but will be required to isolate and undergo COVID testing between days five to seven. They will be released from isolation with a negative test.

International travellers with two doses will not be required to isolate, pending changes to federal regulations, while those with one dose or no vaccination will be subject to 14-day isolation, with a test on day 10.

Asked how the province will verify if a traveller has been vaccinated, Shepard told CBC News: "Since we're still using the travel registration [for travel outside of the Atlantic bubble, Avignon or Témiscouata], I'm going to assume … you know, it may be an honour system. But to be honest, we haven't quite certified that yet."

The province's designated isolation hotels program will no longer be required.

‘The end is indeed in sight, but we must continue to be diligent’

4 years ago

Duration 1:10

Premier Blaine Higgs unveils New Brunswick’s “road to green.”

Businesses, such as restaurants, gyms and salons, will be allowed to operate at full capacity if they maintain a contact list of patrons, she said. Masks will still be required when it's not possible to maintain a distance of two metres, if patrons are not eating or drinking.

Additional health and safety guidelines for early learning and child-care facilities will also be "relaxed" with a full return to normal operations anticipated by Aug. 1, said Shephard.

By Aug. 2, the province expects to remove the state of emergency mandatory order, which has been in place since March 2020 and gives the government additional powers.

The full details of New Brunswick's path to green are available on the government's website.

"I want to remind everyone that these dates are goals and they are subject to change, based on our vaccination rates and the number of hospitalizations," said Shephard.

Dr. Jennifer Russell, the province's chief medical officer of health, said releasing the plan does not put the province at the finish line of its "pandemic journey." COVID-19 will continue even after the green phase.

"But it is a message of hope," she said. "This is about giving everyone the strength to stay on course for a few more weeks."

Premier Blaine Higgs said he knows the plan must come as a "huge relief" to New Brunswickers.

"We have all known very difficult moments during this pandemic," he said.

Many people have been separated from loved ones in other parts of the country "for more than 14 long months."

Businesses have had to alter their operations or, in some cases, close for periods of time.

People whose jobs require them to travel have had to isolate away from their families.

"We have all been required to give up the simple daily activities that we've taken for granted, from hugging our loved ones to working in an office," said Higgs.

Many people have become sick from contracting the coronavirus and 43 people have died in New Brunswick.

"The pandemic has taken its toll on us," Higgs said.

But "people living in other provinces and around the world look at us with envy when they see how much freedom we have been able to enjoy while still avoiding the full force and the damage of COVID-19 and all that it can create."

He encouraged New Brunswickers to continue to show the rest of the world what the province can accomplish when everyone works together.

As of Thursday, 403,233 New Brunswickers, or 58.2 per cent of the eligible population, have received at least one dose, according to the province's COVID dashboard. Of those, only about 37,000, or roughly 5.4 per cent, have had a second dose.

If the province does not reach its vaccination goals, or sees a rise in cases and hospitalizations, it will delay the target dates, Higgs said.

P.E.I. to reopen to Atlantic bubble June 27

Prince Edward Island unveiled its reopening plan, called Moving Forward, on Thursday.

The island plans to welcome visitors from the other Atlantic provinces starting June 27, without requiring any self-isolation period, as long as they provide a self-declaration form that they've received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and agree to take a COVID test at their point of entry.

Premier Dennis King said he expects all Atlantic provinces will be "pretty much aligned" around then, and they are all working on "similar dates." He said the four premiers talked about the issue Wednesday night.

Earlier this month, Higgs said he believed the Atlantic bubble could reopen by July 1.

The Atlantic bubble allows travel within the four Atlantic provinces without the need to self-isolate.

On Thursday, Higgs said no date for a complete reopening of the Atlantic bubble has been set yet because each province will be looking at its own situation.

"But I think what we're signalling here is that as of June 7th, we're in a position to resume those discussions in earnest and look at specific dates," he said. "And I think it's important that we try to align our dates" to help avoid confusion for travellers.

Higgs said he and King discussed the Atlantic region being ready in late June. "Whether we can do something sooner with P.E.I and Newfoundland, certainly we're willing to have those discussions," he said.

P.E.I. reported no new cases of COVID-19 Thursday and three new recoveries, leaving a total of 10 active cases.

Newfoundland and Labrador confirmed six new cases and has 89 active cases.

Nova Scotia, meanwhile, continued its downward trend with 33 new confirmed cases. The province now has 638 active cases.

The four Atlantic premiers had planned to reopen the bubble on May 3, but talks were suspended, given COVID-19 outbreaks in the region, accelerated by emerging variants of concern.

137 active cases

New Brunswick has 137 active cases of COVID-19, the chief medical officer of health announced Thursday.

Six people are hospitalized in New Brunswick, including two in intensive care. Two people are hospitalized out of province with one in an intensive care unit, said Russell.

The breakdown of the nine new cases is as follows:

Moncton region, Zone 1, three cases:

• A person 40-49
• Two people 60-69

Two of these are contacts of existing cases and one is travel-related.

Fredericton region, Zone 3, five cases:

• A person 20-29
• A person 50-59
• A person 60-69
• Two people 70-79

Four of these are contacts of a previously confirmed case and one is travel-related and that person is isolating outside the province.

Bathurst region, Zone 6, one case:

• A person 50-59

This case is under investigation.

New Brunswick has had 2,172 confirmed cases of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic. There have been 1,991 recoveries so far and 43 COVID-related deaths.

A total of 329,398 COVID tests have been conducted, including 1,768 on Wednesday.

Mandatory testing for some long-term care workers

The province announced mandatory COVID-19 testing for unvaccinated long-term care workers in some homes Thursday, citing "unacceptable" low vaccination rates.

Starting Monday, unvaccinated workers will be required to take a rapid COVID-19 test every other day if they're working in a facility where less than half the staff have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, said Social Development Minister Bruce Fitch.

"We have a responsibility to protect the most vulnerable seniors in our province," he said in a statement.

Of the province's 563 long-term care homes, vaccination rates at 99 of them remain below 50 per cent, according to the most recent reports, the minister said.

This means about 1,100 workers have not yet received at least one dose of a vaccine, Fitch said, calling the situation "unacceptable."

"There are still outbreaks occurring in long-term care facilities, and this is putting the health of many seniors at risk," he said. "We have no choice but to impose additional measures to protect the residents living in these facilities."

Last week, Premier Blaine Higgs said he was seeking a legal opinion on whether the province could make COVID-19 vaccination mandatory for long-term care home employees and other health-care workers.

On Thursday, Higgs said the province was advised it could make vaccines mandatory and that the best way to proceed would be under employment standards, to make it a condition of employment.

"That wouldn't be unlike other conditions of health and safety, especially in health-care workers,"  Higgs told reporters during the COVID briefing.

"But we believe that the best way to move forward here is what we're doing," he said, referring to the mandatory testing as a measure "to encourage the vaccination levels."

Higgs noted there has been "a lot of progress" over the past couple of weeks, with vaccination rates increasing to roughly 73 per cent from 55 per cent.

"At this point we are confident that, given the actual uptake that we've seen for vaccines, that we're going to reach our target levels, and it's not going to be a problem," he said.

All residents of the long-term care facilities are also fully vaccinated now, Higgs added. "So that's comforting to know."

Last week, the province was also considering identifying long-term care homes where an insufficient number of workers have received the vaccine, so families can decide if it's safe to put their loved ones there.

Higgs said the province decided instead to deal directly with the individual homes, and call the managers. "And what we're pointing to here today is that we actually have made a difference," he said, referring to the improved rates.

The Department of Social Development launched a website Thursday showing the total number of long-term care facilities in each health zone and the vaccination rates per zone.

It indicates a total of 73.5 per cent of staff have received at least one dose or intend to get the vaccine.

The Edmundston region, Zone 4, and Bathurst region, Zone 6, have the highest percentage of unvaccinated workers, both at 28 per cent, according to the website.

The Fredericton region, Zone 3, has the most workers who have gotten their shots, with only two per cent showing as unvaccinated.

Details of Explore NB rebate program released

The province has released the details of its summer Explore NB Travel Incentive Program, which supports the tourism industry during the COVID-19 pandemic by offering rebates to New Brunswickers who do staycations.

Residents can apply for a 20 per cent rebate on eligible expenses up to $1,000 for travel that includes a paid overnight stay between May 27 and Oct. 31.

The government will spend $4.5 million in 2021-22 to renew the program, which was created last summer, when COVID restrictions kept many New Brunswickers from leaving the province and prevented tourists from visiting.

"We are happy to be able to offer this program once again to residents," Tourism, Heritage and Culture Minister Tammy Scott-Wallace said in a statement.

"It has helped support many tourism businesses across the province and has helped New Brunswickers to discover new places and hidden gems. It has truly made it possible for many people to continue to explore their province over the past year."

Eligible expenses include:

• Accommodations, such as at hotels, motels, inns, B&Bs and campsites.
• Food and drink at restaurants and food trucks.
• Activities, such as entrance fees to attractions, museums, art galleries, cultural events and outdoor adventure activities.
• Travel expenses such as for vehicle rentals, ferries and parking.

"Accommodations only found on Facebook Marketplace and/or Kijiji are NOT eligible," the program's website states.

Applications can be submitted from July 5 to Nov. 30. Valid and detailed receipts from registered New Brunswick businesses are required.

Although the Department of Tourism was still processing a backlog of claims from last summer as recently as April, it will start processing applications for the renewed program on July 5, according to the website.

"Multiple applications will be accepted from one applicant, but the maximum rebate for any one individual remains at $200."

New public exposures

Public Health has identified a potential public exposure to the virus at the following locations:

Moncton region, Zone 1:

• Day & Ross Freight Terminal, 651 Frenette Ave., Moncton, on May 20 and May 22.
• Wendy's Restaurant, 85 Harrisville Blvd., Moncton, on May 22 between noon and 8 p.m.

Fredericton region, Zone 3:

• The Reps Gym, 401 Connell St., Woodstock, on May 17 to May 19 between 8 p.m. and midnight.
• Capitol Building, 114 Queen St., Woodstock, on May 17 to May 19.
• Day & Ross Freight Terminal, 398 Main St., Hartland, on May 17 to May 22.

Public Health has also identified a positive case in a traveller who may have been infectious while on the following flights:

• Air Canada Flight 318 – from Calgary to Montreal, departed at 11:43 a.m. on May 15.
• Air Canada Flight 8904 – from Montreal to Moncton, departed at 6:52 p.m. on May 15.

Public Health is offering COVID-19 testing for all New Brunswickers who have been in a public exposure area, even if they are not experiencing any symptoms. Residents may request a test online or call Tele-Care 811.

People experiencing one or more symptom are also encouraged to get tested.

Previous public exposures

Public Health previously reported the following potential public exposures:

Moncton region, Zone 1:

• Moxie's Grill and Bar, 10 Wyse St., Moncton, on May 21 between 9:30 a.m. and 7 p.m.
• Tim Hortons, 170 St. George Blvd., Moncton, on May 21 between 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. and May 23 between 8 a.m. and noon.
• A&W, 6 Champlain St., Dieppe, on May 21 between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m.
• Codiac Transpo City Bus #60, on May 21 between 7:45 a.m. and 11 a.m.
• Codiac Transpo City Bus #51, on May 21 between 7:15 p.m. and 10 p.m.
• Extreme Windows, 80 Loftus St., Moncton, on May 18, May 19, May 20 and May 21 between 7:30 a.m. and 4 p.m.
• Subway, 100 Morton Ave., Moncton, on May 19 between 8:30 a.m. and 9:15 a.m.
• TD Bank, 525 Regis St., Dieppe, on May 22 between 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.

Fredericton region, Zone 3:

• Downtown Optometry Clinic, 169 Dundonald St., Fredericton, on May 20 between 4:30 p.m. and 8 p.m
• The Head Shoppe, 1381 Regent St., Fredericton, on May 21 between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m.
• Arthurette General Store, 1450 Route 109, Red Rapids, on May 11 between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m., May 16 between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., and May 21 between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. 
• Save Easy, A-24 Columbus St., Perth-Andover, on May 11, May 14, May 15, and May 21 between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m.
• Grant's Service Centre, 1151 W. Riverside Dr., Perth-Andover, on May 13 between 3:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.
• NB Liquor, 26F Tribe Rd., Perth-Andover, on May 13 between 10 a.m. and 9 p.m.
• Lewis Pharmacy, 14F Tribe Rd., Perth-Andover, on May 11 between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m., and May 14 between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
• Squeaky's Convenience, 2-18F Tribe Rd., Perth-Andover, on May 14 between 8 a.m. and 11 p.m.
• Castle Building Supplies, 24B Columbus St., Perth-Andover, on May 14 between 7:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., and May 20 between noon and 5:30 p.m.
• Aldo Shoes, 1381 Regent St., on May 19, between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m.
• Le Château, 1381 Regent St., on May 19, between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m.
• Lawtons Drugs, 1381 Regent St., on May 19 and May 20, between 3:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.
• Costco, 25 Wayne Squibb Blvd., on May 21, between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.
• Dollarama, 1033 Prospect St., on May 21, between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m.
• Giant Tiger, 1160 Smythe St., on May 21 between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m.
• Costco, 25 Wayne Squibb Blvd., Fredericton on Saturday, May 15, between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.
• Walmart Supercentre, 1399 Regent St., Fredericton on Sunday, May 16, between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.
• Shoppers Drug Mart, 1040 Prospect St., Fredericton on Sunday, May 16, between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.
• Walmart, 125 Two Nations Crossing, Fredericton on Monday, May 17, between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.
• Dollarama, 125 Two Nations Crossing, Fredericton on Monday, May 17, between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.
• Sobeys Fast Fuel, 530 Brookside Dr., Fredericton on Monday, May 17, between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.
• Fadi's Pizza, 312 Main St., Fredericton on Tuesday, May 18, between noon and 2 p.m.
• Fredericton Regional Centre, 300 St. Mary's St., on Tuesday, May 18, and Wednesday, May 19, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
• Atlantic Superstore, 116 Main St., Fredericton on Wednesday, May 19, between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Other public exposures

Public Health said the dates of a previously reported public exposure at the Fredericton YMCA daycare were incorrect. The correct dates are:

• Fredericton YMCA daycare, 570 York St., Fredericton, on Tuesday, May 18, and Wednesday, May 19

Fredericton region:

• Christ Church (Parish) Church, 245 Westmorland St., Fredericton, Sunday, May 16, 10:30 a.m. service.
• Hope City Church, 429 Clements Dr., Fredericton, on Sunday, May 16, 9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. services.
• Petro Canada, 20 Royal Rd., Fredericton, on Tuesday, May 18, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
• Home Depot, 1450 Regent St., Fredericton, Wednesday, May 19, between 5 and 7 p.m.
• Scholten's, 325 Sunset Dr., Fredericton, on May 17 between 4 and 8 p.m.
• Atlantic Superstore, 116 Main St., Fredericton, on May 16 between 9 and 11 a.m.
• Crowne Plaza Fredericton, 659 Queen St., Fredericton, on May 15 between 3 p.m. and May 16 at noon.
• Riverbend Golf Club, 541 Route 628, Durham Bridge,on May 15, between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.
• Penniac Ultramar, 22 Route 628, on May 15, between 9 and 11 a.m. and between 2 and 4 p.m.
• Fredericton Boyce Farmers Market, 665 George St., on May 15 between 10 a.m. and noon
• Moores Clothing, 1150 Prospect St., on May 15, between 11 a.m. and noon.
• Home Depot, 1450 Regent St., on May 15, between noon and 1 p.m.
• Crowne Plaza Fredericton, 659 Queen St., between 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 15, and noon on Sunday, May 16.
• Costco, 25 Wayne Squibb Blvd., Fredericton, on Friday, May 14, between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.
• CJ Munn Equipment, 1095 Hanwell Rd., Fredericton, on Friday, May 14, between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.
• McMath Law Office, 406 Regent St., on May 14, between 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.
• Fredericton Mitsubishi, 327 St. Mary's St., on May 14, between 10:45 a.m. and 4 p.m.
• Pizza Delight, 243 St. Mary's St., on May 14, between noon and 2 p.m.
• The Abbey Café, 546 Queen St., on May 14, between noon and 12:30 p.m.
• Scotiabank, 490 King St., on May 14, between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m.
• Sobeys, 1180 Prospect St., on May 14, between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m.
• Cannon's Cross Pub, 15 Riverside Dr., on May 14, between 7:30 p.m. and 9 p.m.
• McDonald's Restaurant, 1177 Prospect St., on May 14, between 4:30 and 5:30 p.m.
• Cal's Independent Grocer, 135 Otis Dr., Nackawic, on May 14, between 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
• Irving Big Stop Blue Canoe restaurant, 415 Nevers Rd., Waasis, on May 14, between 10:30 a.m. and noon.
• Progressive Credit Union, 395 Connell Rd., Woodstock, on May 13, between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
• Giant Tiger, 1160 Smythe St., on May 13, between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m.
• Scholten's, 325 Sunset Dr., on May 13, between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.
• Costco, 25 Wayne Squibb Blvd., on May 12, between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. and May 13, between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.
• A&W, 1018 Prospect St., Fredericton, on May 12, between noon and 2 p.m.
• NB Power, 515 King St., on May 12, between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
• Sobeys Fast Fuel, 530 Brookside Dr., on May 12, between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m.
• University of New Brunswick Fredericton campus, residence administration building, 20 Bailey Dr., Fredericton, on May 11 and May 12, between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.
• Sobeys, 463 Brookside Dr., Fredericton, on May 11, between 6 and 8 p.m.
• Tony Pepperoni, 510 Brookside Dr., on May 11, between 5 and 7 p.m.
• The Drome, 301 Main St., on May 11, between 8:45 and 11 p.m.
• Shoppers Drug Mart, 1040 Prospect St., on May 11, from 9 to 10 a.m.
• Hilton Garden Inn Hotel and the Pickle Jar Restaurant, 620 Queen St., from May 11 to May 16.
• Tim Hortons drive-thru, Regent Street, on May 10, at 1:30 p.m.
• Atlantic Superstore, 471 Smythe St, on May 10, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. and May 11, from 10 a.m. to noon.
• Dr. Everett Chalmers Regional Hospital, 700 Priestman St., on May 10-11.
• Stan Cassidy Centre for Rehabilitation, 800 Priestman St., on May 10-11.
• Veterans Health Unit, 680 Priestman St., on May 10-11.
• Wolastoq Wharf, 527 Union St., on May 9, between noon and 2:30 p.m.
• Northside Market, 170 Main St., on May 9, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Irving Oil, 181 King St., on May 9, from 8 to 10 p.m.
• Dollarama, 5 Trinity Dr., on May 9, from noon to 2 p.m.
• NB Liquor, 18 Trinity Dr., on May 9, from noon to 5 p.m.
• Home Sense, 18 Trinity Dr., on May 9, from noon to 5 p.m.
• Delta Fredericton, 225 Woodstock Rd., on May 6-12.
• STMR. 36 Restaurant – Delta Fredericton, 225 Woodstock Rd., on May 6-12.

Moncton region:

• Costco Wholesale, 140 Granite Dr., Moncton, on May 9, between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Edmundston region:

• Tim Hortons, 54 Canada St., Saint-Quentin, on May 16, between 3:30 and 5:30 p.m.
• Jean Coutu, 177 Victoria St., on May 15, between noon and 1 p.m.

Bathurst region:

• Tim Hortons, 1420 Vanier Blvd., Bathurst, on May 16, between 5 and 7 p.m.

Flight exposures

Public Health has identified a positive case in a traveller who may have been infectious while on the following flights:

• Air Canada 314 – from Vancouver to Montreal, departed at 11:24 p.m. on May 11.
• Air Canada 8902 – from Montreal to Moncton, departed at 1:06 p.m. on May 12.
• Air Canada 8946 from Toronto to Moncton, departed at 8:47 p.m. on May 10.

What to do if you have a symptom

People concerned they might have COVID-19 symptoms can take a self-assessment test online. 

Public Health says symptoms shown by people with COVID-19 have included:

• Fever above 38 C.

• New cough or worsening chronic cough.

• Sore throat.

• Runny nose.

• Headache.

• New onset of fatigue, muscle pain, diarrhea, loss of sense of taste or smell.

• Difficulty breathing.

In children, symptoms have also included purple markings on the fingers and toes.

People with one of those symptoms should:

• Stay at home.

• Call Tele-Care 811 or their doctor.

• Describe symptoms and travel history.

• Follow instructions.