New Brunswick heads into Phase 2 of the "Path to Green"

At a press conference in Fredericton on Wednesday, June 16, 2021, New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs announced that the province will enter Phase 2 on the path toward the Green level of the COVID-19 recovery plan, effective as of midnight tonight, two weeks ahead of the original target date. As of today, 75.4 per cent of eligible New Brunswickers have been vaccinated with at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and 20.2 per cent of people 65 and older have received both doses.

"We have arrived at this point ahead of schedule thanks to those who got fully vaccinated as soon as they were eligible," said Premier Higgs. "Because you took action to protect yourself, your family and everyone around you, we are now able to further loosen restrictions."

"With each passing day, we are reducing the risk of new outbreaks of COVID-19 in New Brunswick," said Dr. Jennifer Russell, chief medical officer of health. "But we will not eliminate that risk completely. In the weeks ahead, we need to continue to wear a mask in public indoor places, maintain two metres of physical distance from others, wash our hands regularly, get tested when we have symptoms and get a second vaccine dose when we are eligible."

Reaching the goal of vaccinating 75 per cent of New Brunswickers 12 and older with the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 20 per cent of people 65 and older with two doses were two of the four requirements for entering the second phase. Hospitalizations in the province also had to remain low and all health zones had to remain at the Yellow alert level. Both of these requirements have also been met.

In Phase 2 on the path to Green, effective at midnight tonight:

-No isolation or testing will be required for those travelling to New Brunswick from the Atlantic provinces, including Nova Scotia.
-No isolation or testing will be required for Canadian residents with at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine travelling to New Brunswick.
-Unvaccinated Canadian residents travelling to New Brunswick from outside the Atlantic provinces, or Avignon or Témiscouata in Quebec, will be permitted to enter the province. They will be required to isolate and take a COVID-19 test between days five and seven before they can discontinue isolation.
-The requirement for travellers to isolate in a designated facility will no longer be in effect.
-Rotational workers and their households will no longer need to self-isolate upon their return to New Brunswick.
-Travel registration will continue to be required for all travellers entering New Brunswick from outside the Atlantic provinces or Avignon or Témiscouata in Quebec.
-Restaurants and businesses may operate at regular capacity. Businesses such as restaurants, gyms and salons must continue to maintain a contact list of clients to allow Public Health to contact trace if needed. Masks must continue to be worn indoors when it is not possible to maintain a physical distance of two metres or when not eating or drinking. -The requirement to remain seated at all times is no longer in effect.
-Organized sporting activity will be permitted, however players and teams based outside of Atlantic Canada will be subject to travel requirements.
-All other restrictions will remain in place, including the use of masks, based on a health zone's alert level. New Brunswickers should check the rules in effect in other provinces prior to travel.

Travellers from outside the Atlantic provinces will be required to show their registration and proof of vaccination when crossing into New Brunswick from Quebec or at an airport. Travellers should anticipate delays at the Quebec border when entering New Brunswick, and it is recommended that they consider crossing the border outside of peak hours, during the evening or at night if possible to avoid traffic. Phase 2 on the path to Green allows restrictions for travellers from Maine and other international jurisdictions to be reduced. However, these changes will not come into effect yet, as federal regulations supersede provincial guidelines.