As some provinces look to lift COVID-19 restrictions, Maritimes to keep vaccine mandate for now

Even though the COVID-19 Omicron wave continues to spread across the country, some provinces are looking at loosening public health measures in the near future.

On Monday, the premier of Saskatchewan announced he planned to scrap the proof of vaccination requirement, claiming current vaccines no longer reduce transmission of the variant.

"That is why the proof of vaccination or the proof of negative test requirement that we have in Saskatchewan will very soon come to an end,” said Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe.

Dr. Lisa Barrett, a Halifax-based infectious disease specialist and scientist, said the purpose of a vaccine mandate is to decrease or limit the number of people who might be most infectious in a space where people are close together.

"Right now, if there is still a need in an area, province or population to keep the number of infections under quite strict control, then it would seem to make sense that things that would limit the number of people indoors together, with masks off, without vaccination would be a sensible thing to do,” said Barrett.

At a news conference Tuesday afternoon, Prince Edward Island said it hopes to ease public health restrictions in the coming weeks.

At this time, the province does not plan to lift the proof-of-vaccination requirement.

"I think we would be talking about things like ending the four-day isolation for people coming across, coming into our province, and as Dr. Morrison said, getting sports teams back to playing games and other activities such as that,” said P.E.I. Premier Dennis King.

"That would be one of the other measures that would be phased out over the next couple months but it wouldn't be the first thing we're trying to address,” added P.E.I. Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Heather Morrison.

New Brunswick is currently in Level 2 of its COVID-19 Winter Plan. The province’s top doctor said Tuesday that the province has no plans to drop the vaccine mandate right now.

"It's not something that we're planning at this point in time. But you know, that could change in the future, but at this time, we're not having those discussions quite yet,” said New Brunswick Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Jennifer Russell.

As for Nova Scotia, the province said the proof of vaccination protocol was established as a short-term measure to help businesses stay open and Nova Scotians stay safe through this wave of COVID-19.

How long it will stay in place is one of the things officials are considering as they look at how to eventually ease restrictions.

The province said there are many factors, risks and trends that are considered collectively before implementing or lifting public health restrictions, such as vaccine status and public health system capacity.