At a press conference on Thursday, April 15, Chief Medical Officer of New Brunswick Dr. Jennifer Russell announced that a section of Zone 4 including the communities of Grand Falls, Saint-Léonard, Drummond, New Denmark and Four Falls will move from the Red level to Orange at midnight under the province’s mandatory order. Edmundston and the Upper Madawaska region will remain in lockdown. The Saint-Quentin and Kedgwick regions will remain in the Yellow level.

“I thank the people of the Edmundston region for the efforts they are making to slow the spread of this virus,” said Dr. Russell. “Their determination in the face of ongoing hardships deserves our admiration and our support.”

The level change for the designated area allows residents to extend their household bubble to include a "Steady 10" list of contacts. Restaurant dining rooms can now open, and people may dine out with their household and with members of their Steady 10. Spas and salons, fitness centres and entertainment centres can also operate.

“I thank everyone for continuing to take precautions and working together to keep their loved ones and their communities healthy and safe,” said Health Minister Dorothy Shephard. “This pandemic has shown us how even the smallest act, such as choosing to wear a mask, can have a big impact.”

With the UK variant now the dominant strain in New Brunswick and four cases of the South African variant now confirmed in the province, Dr. Russell is encouraging New Brunswickers with even one symptom to get tested for COVID-19.

“If you feel that you have a spring cold or mild flu, what you are more likely to be experiencing is one of the variants of COVID-19,” Russell said. “It is very important that New Brunswickers who have one or more symptoms or who have been in an area of potential exposure continue to seek testing, even those who have been vaccinated.”