Dr. Jennifer Russell (courtesy CPAC)
More details on what New Brunswickers can expect during the transition away from COVID-19 measures are expected to be released soon.
Speaking to reporters last week, Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Jennifer Russell, said there will be more news to share with the public regarding testing and protective measures at a later date.
“We’re in a planning phase right now to make sure we have everything we need from a communication perspective, around what measures people should take moving forward individually to protect themselves, their loved ones, immunocompromised folks in the community,” Russell said.
New Brunswick drops its remaining COVID-19 measures and restrictions on March 14, following in the footsteps of many other Canadian provinces and territories, which have already done so.
Russell said messaging from New Brunswick Public Health will likely be similar to the messaging spread in other jurisdictions. She noted meetings with provincial counterparts occur twice a week, and lately have been heavily focused on this transition.
“At this point in time, the messaging will be that the pandemic is not over. We do expect more variants and more surges,” Russell said, adding measures taken by individuals will help protect other members of the community.
Protective measures Russell referenced include getting vaccinated, staying home when sick, and wearing a mask. While the latter will become a personal choice next week, Russell said she expects many people to continue using them.
“We definitely want to socialize [wearing a mask] because we don’t want there to be stigma. There are many different reasons why people will wear masks, and we want to encourage that,” Russell added.
