Some of the COVID-19 measures in New Brunswick will be loosened as we head into the Family Day weekend.
The province will return to Level 1 of its COVID-19 winter plan — the least restrictive level — as of 11:59 p.m. Friday.
“Our hospitals are stabilizing enough, with the number of hospitalizations continuing to trend downward and more health-care workers able to return to work, to move to Level 1,” Premier Blaine Higgs said in a news release Friday.
“Tonight’s move to Level 1 is a major step towards reducing and eliminating restrictions as we prepare to ease out of our winter plan over the coming weeks.”
Higgs has said he hopes to remove all COVID measures sometime in March.
While masks will continue to be required in all indoor public spaces, other measures will be loosened.
Businesses that had to reduce their capacity under Level 2 will be able to open to full capacity, including entertainment centres, gyms, and restaurants. Patrons will still be required to show proof of full vaccination
Spas and salons must require proof of vaccination or maintain physical distancing between customers.
Retail businesses will also be able to open to full capacity once we return to Level 1.
Households no longer need to have a steady number of contacts. Indoor household gatherings will increase to a maximum of 20 people, and outdoor informal gatherings will increase to a maximum of 50 people.
Recreation and sport will return for people of all ages across New Brunswick.
Level 1 guidance has been changed to allow for singing in places of worship, even if those in attendance are not required to show proof of full vaccination or medical exemption.
Masking will still be required, but faith venues not requiring proof of vaccination must still operate at 50 per cent, ensure physical distancing, and collect names of attendees by row or have an assigned seating plan.
The province said Friday that visitor restrictions in hospitals will remain in place as the number of COVID-19 cases provincewide is projected to increase over the coming weeks with the return to Level 1.
“Right now, the risk of asymptomatic visitors bringing Omicron into our hospitals remains fairly high,” said Dr. Jennifer Russell, the province’s chief medical officer of health.
“It is important to protect patients and health-care workers from the virus, so those restrictions will continue at this time with the goal of removing them as soon as we can.”
The province also announced Friday that it will no longer update the COVID-19 dashboard on weekends and holidays.
Province moves to Level 1 of winter plan tonighthttps://t.co/jr9Yn3gjDI pic.twitter.com/TEfcZY0Ft3
— Government of NB (@Gov_NB) February 18, 2022
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