New Brunswick returned to the yellow phase of COVID-19 recovery at midnight Sunday night.
That marks the first time in more than two months any of the province’s seven health zones have been yellow since multiple COVID-19 outbreaks were announced shortly after the New Year.
Public Health has announced multiple changes to yellow guidelines which are now in effect.
The most notable is the change to a ‘Steady 15’ list of close contacts, an increase on the ‘Steady 10’ allowed under the orange phase.
As with the updated orange phase announced last week, household bubbles can include those from other health zones.
The move to yellow also allows sports teams to travel across health zones for games, freeing the province’s three QMJHL teams to resume their seasons.
Businesses of all types are now able to open, so long as they have an updated COVID-19 operational plan.
Guidelines around formal and informal gatherings have also changed.
Formal gatherings, which the province describes as events ‘hosted by a business or organization in compliance with a COVID-19 operational plan’ have an occupancy limit of 50 per cent the facility’s capacity if attendees are not in the same household bubble and physical distancing can’t be maintained.
Informal outdoor gatherings of fewer than 50 people are also now permitted, as long as physical distancing can be upheld.
Masks are still required in all indoor gatherings and public spaces.
For a full list of the updated yellow level restrictions, click here.
