New Brunswick will be requiring proof of vaccination beginning Sept. 22 in response to the rising cases in the province.
In order to get more people vaccinated, Higgs announced that New Brunswickers aged 12 and over will need to show ID, and prove they’ve been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by showing their immunization record or a photograph of it.
People will need to show proof of vaccination whenever they access certain services, businesses and events, including:
- Indoor festivals, performing arts and sporting events.
- Indoor and outdoor dining and drinking at restaurants, pubs and bars.
- Movie theatres, nightclubs, amusement centres, pool halls, bowling alleys and casinos.
- Gyms, indoor pools and indoor recreation facilities.
- Indoor group exercise facilities.
- Indoor organized gatherings including weddings, funerals, parties (excluding parties in a private dwelling), conferences and workshops.
- Indoor organized group recreational sports, classes and activities.
- Visiting a long-term care facility.
Individuals who are unable to receive a vaccine due to a medical exemption will be required to show proof.
Enforcement officers are also set to monitor compliance. They’ll be explaining the rules and enforcing them — focusing on those under 50 where the vaccination rate averages around 65 per cent.
Anyone coming into New Brunswick will also have to register their travel starting Sep 21. Those not fully vaccinated will have to self-isolate for 14 days, or after testing negative on day 10.
Higgs said a mandatory vaccination rule will also kick in next week for those living in “vulnerable settings,” with unvaccinated folks facing mask mandates or other enhanced measures.
READ MORE: COVID-19: 122 cases in N.B. over weekend, prompting school closures and new rules
“There will be consequences for those not following the rules,” said Higgs.
Those entering the province without proof of vaccination or entering with false documents will face fines from $172.50 to $772.50.
The premier says these measures will be constantly reevaluated in collaboration with Public Health.
New vaccination goal
New Brunswick is now targeting a 90 per cent vaccination rate, with Premier Blaine Higgs citing concerning variants running rampant.
At a COVID-19 briefing Wednesday, the province’s top doctor Dr. Jennifer Russell said that there are 63 new cases–the largest single-day report New Brunswick has seen to date, and one death.
“We are on a trajectory for 100 new cases a day if nothing changes,” said Russell.
She said the virus is spreading broadly in every corner of the province and especially among the unvaccinated.
So far, 77.2 per cent of eligible New Brunswickers are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and 85.7 per cent have received their first dose of a vaccine.
“If you are an unvaccinated New Brunswicker, you are 23 times more likely to be hospitalized for COVID-19 than a person who is fully vaccinated,” said Russell. “This puts our health-care system under strain. The focus on caring for severely ill COVID-19 patients limits our ability to serve those with other conditions.”
Russell said that 52 – or 83 per cent of the 63 new cases are not fully vaccinated, and those who are experiencing severe illness fall under this category.
As of Wednesday, 12 people have been hospitalized due to the virus and seven are in the ICU.
“We can still turn the tide of this 4th phase … we can continue to live a normal life … and stay in the green phase but to do this we need more people to get vaccinated,” Russell said.