Just under 2,000 New Brunswickers will receive the first dose of a two-shot vaccine for COVID-19 this weekend. 1,950 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine will be administered in Miramichi beginning this Saturday to priority groups that have been identified in the provincial government’s vaccine plan.

“This is a significant step forward in our province’s journey through the COVID-19 pandemic, but it will take several months before enough of our population is vaccinated and we are able to move to the Green level,” said Premier Blaine Higgs. “Hope is on the horizon but for now, I am asking New Brunswickers to be patient and continue to follow the advice of Public Health.”

While the vaccine offers hope for the future, we are clearly only at the beginning of the end, and New Brunswickers must stay vigilant over the holiday season. The Edmundston region remains at the Orange level of recovery under the province’s COVID-19 recovery plan. 

“Do not take chances with COVID-19,” said Dr. Jennifer Russell, chief medical officer of health. “I suggest the best gift you can give this year is the gift of safety. It remains very important to keep your number of close contacts low, especially during the holiday period.”