At a press conference in Fredericton, Premier Blaine Higgs announced on Friday, July 23, 2021 that the province’s mandatory order will not be renewed on July 30 at 11:59 pm, which will remove all restrictions in the province as it goes to Green.

“We have surpassed our goal of 75 per cent of the eligible population with their first vaccine and are now at 81 per cent,” said Premier Higgs. “By the end of next week, the percentage of eligible New Brunswickers vaccinated with the second dose will be high enough to balance out many of the risks of living with COVID-19. With our experiences of the past 17 months, low case numbers and climbing vaccination rates, we believe we are safe to take this next step and learn to live with COVID-19 without the mandatory order.”

The end of the mandatory order will: Lift all mandatory travel and public health restrictions that have been in place over the course of the pandemic; Lift all provincial border restrictions; provincial border checks will cease, and registration will no longer be required to enter New Brunswick from anywhere in Canada; Lift all limits on gatherings and the number of people within facilities. Capacity limits in theatres, restaurants and stores will no longer be required; End the requirement to wear face masks in public.

While mandatory restrictions will cease, some facilities and businesses may choose to maintain their own policies on protective health measures. Federal border restrictions will also remain in place at this time. It is important to note that New Brunswick will still be living in a time of COVID-19 as we move into the Green level of recovery. That means that the Public Health Act, which allows for the declaration of outbreaks and can enforce isolation requirements to protect communities when needed, could be used at any time it is deemed necessary. 

“We will be living with COVID-19, so we encourage New Brunswickers to continue to practise protective health measures such as hand-washing, coughing in your elbow, staying home when sick and wearing a mask if you so choose,” said Dr. Jennifer Russell, chief medical officer of health. “This virus is still with us and we should all expect to see cases as normal travel returns. If you have symptoms, get tested.”

“When we move to Green, not everyone will feel ready to jump back into life as if nothing happened. We all will have to adapt to this new environment in our own way,” said Higgs. “For some, the return to normal will be at a fast pace. Others may want to ease out of the safety measures we have been surrounded by for so long. There is no right way to do this. Everyone must do what feels best for them while remaining safe.”