At a press conference in Fredericton, Premier Blaine Higgs and Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Jennifer Russell announced that New Brunswick will move to Level 3 lockdown of the province's COVID-19 winter plan for 16 days starting on Friday, Jan. 14, at 11:59 p.m. 

“Introducing these additional measures is not a step anyone wanted to take, but we promised we would take action when action was needed, and that time is now,” said Premier Blaine Higgs. “Based on the rising number of hospitalizations, this is what we need to do to slow down the spread of the Omicron variant and mitigate the impact on our health-care system. This will also give us more time to administer booster doses and vaccinate children aged five to 11.”

The lockdown will be in effect until Jan. 30 at 11:59 p.m. 

“These measures are serious, and that is because we are facing a very serious situation,” said Dr. Russell. “Our projections show that, if we all reduce our contacts by 30 per cent, we can lower the forecasted peak of hospitalizations from 220 to about 150. This will help offset the impact of staff shortages for those caring for hospitalized patients and for critical infrastructure staff. For the next two weeks, I ask all New Brunswickers to do their part. Please, stay within your single-household bubble, wear a well-fitted mask whenever you are in public, only go out in public for necessities, and book your booster dose if you are five months from your second dose, especially if you are 50 or older.”

Under Level 3, the following measures will be in effect:

• People must stay within their single-household bubble. A single-household bubble includes the people you live with. Where required, this can be extended to include: caregivers; a family member who needs support from someone within the household; or one other person who needs support (for example, someone who lives alone, or another family member).

• A single-household bubble may extend care to children from another household for the purposes of informal daycare or online education support. This must be the same household bubble for as long as Level 3 is in effect.

• Public gatherings are not permitted, and gyms, entertainment centres, spas and salons are not allowed to operate.

• Restaurants may provide drive-thru, takeout and delivery only.

• Retail businesses may continue to remain open at 50 per cent capacity and with physical distancing measures in place. 

• People are encouraged to use contactless curbside pickup and/or designate one person from the household to go shopping, if feasible, to reduce contacts.

• Faith venues may provide outdoor, virtual or in-car religious services only.

• Organized team sports are prohibited from games, competition and practice with people outside of a household bubble. 

• Individual sports that can be conducted outdoors, such as skiing, skating and snowmobiling, are permitted as long as distancing is maintained from those outside of a household bubble. Buildings that support outdoor sports, such as ski lodges and warm-up shelters, must maintain 50 per cent capacity, distancing and masking. Food and drinks cannot be served. The government will be working with sports organizations to develop a plan to resume some form of play or practice for all ages when New Brunswick returns to Level 2.

• Masks must still be worn at all times in indoor public spaces and in outdoor public spaces where physical distancing cannot be maintained.