Premier Higgs and Dr. Jennifer Russell, Chief Medical Officer of New Brunswick, announced on Friday that zone 2, the Saint John region, which includes Charlotte County, has rolled back to the orange level of recovery after a surge in cases in the region. The St. Stephen COVID-19 satellite testing site has extended its hours of operation to meet demand. Appointments are now available Mon and friday from 10am to 2pm and Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 830am to 10am.

The Town of Saint Andrews held an emergency council meeting on Monday night in response to the government's decision to roll back Zone 2 to the Orange level of recovery. The orange level of recovery has been revamped to allow more businesses, including the WC O'Neill Arena, to continue to operate with stricter guidelines in place.

"Single teams who've already booked the ice can still practice at their scheduled times, but we are not going to be hosting games or renting the ice to new commitments," said Deputy Mayor Brad Henderson. 

On Tuesday, St. Andrews unveiled the annual Lobster Trap Christmas Tree in Market Square "This is the fourth year we've done this tree. It raises money for the foodbank with locals buoying buoys for $30 that they paint at home and then get put on the tree as decorations. All the proceeds go to the Open Door Program," said organizer Allisan Spear.

To discourage crowds from gathering, the town's tree lighting will be now take place virtually on CHCO-TV on Friday night at 6pm. The Saint Andrews' drive-by Santa Claus Parade has also been formally cancelled.  
 
Finally, Santa's Helpers and Operation Christmas Joy have joined forces this year to provide for families in across Charlotte County over the holidays with an annual telethon airing on CHCO-TV this Sunday. The three-hour live TV event will feature choir performances from school children across the county that were pre-taped this fall before Zone 2 entered the orange phase of recovery.