Nova Scotia will make mask-wearing mandatory in most indoor public places starting July 31, as a measure to minimize a possible second wave of the coronavirus.
In New Brunswick, on the other hand, masks are only recommended.
“You put that order in place, well, then you have to enforce it, and how exactly do you go about enforcing mandatory masks?” said Kris Austin, People’s Alliance N.B. leader.
Nova Scotia police will be able to enforce orders under the Health Protection Act and Emergency Management Act, but on July 17 the province’s chief medical officer of health Dr. Robert Strang said the province is hoping people will co-operate, instead of having to enforce the rule.
“I certainly don’t want Nova Scotia telling me what to do here, I think it’s something we have to decide to do on our own,” Austin said.
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On June 5, New Brunswick issued a mandatory mask policy, but dialled it back a day later.
However, the province’s top doctor Dr. Jennifer Russell says conversations on mask policies are ongoing.
“In New Brunswick, in the mandatory order it states that you must wear a mask at all times when you are out in public in cases where you cannot physically distance, and if you cannot physically distance and you don’t have a mask you need to remove yourself,” said Russell.
Russell also says to stay in the current “yellow” phase, people have to be vigilant until there is a vaccine available for COVID-19.
“We cannot relax at this point in time, even though people will be quite fatigued from having dealt with this for many months already,” she says.
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