Many New Brunswick businesses practising caution as COVID-19 cases rise
On Saturday, New Brunswick entered its Green phase of its COVID-19 reopening plan, meaning all COVID-19 restrictions were lifted in the province. However, some businesses in downtown Moncton, N.B. are still having their employees wear masks.
“People have a choice now, to do whatever they want. We choose to wear a mask to protect ourselves, our staff and our customers,” said Steve Clerke, the co-owner of Gifts Galore in Moncton.
“I have a lot of friends that live out west and they’re saying, 'Learn from our mistakes and wait longer,'” said Rebecca McCabe, a Barista at C’est la Vie Café in Moncton.
McCabe says she has been noticing more people from out of province in the city. Because of this, they feel comfortable keeping customers distanced indoors, along with keeping previous safety measures in place, like the placement of Plexiglas.
“It’s not something that’s required. It’s just something we’re putting in place for the comfort of our customers and the different groups that come in,” said McCabe.
At the Greater Moncton Roméo Leblanc international Airport, restrictions have not changed since the province moved to the Green phase.
“We’ve kept the mask requirement in place because that’s still required when people board aircrafts so that makes it a bit more consistent,” said Bernard Leblanc, the airport’s CEO. “When the federal guidance changes then we’ll look at changing that as well.”
On Wednesday, New Brunswick reported two new cases of COVID-19, with a total of 41 active cases.
Currently, the majority of active cases reside in the Moncton area, along with a growing number of possible public exposure sites. Due to a rise in exposure sites, public health is asking those who may have been exposed to get tested.
“The number of exposure sites downtown in restaurants and bars is certainly up. Many of them have decided to close for a day and do a deep clean… I think it causes some sober second thought as to how open we should be,” said John Wishart, the Greater Moncton chamber of commerce's CEO.
Wishart says some businesses have been operating with the same amount of caution as they did before the province turned to Green.
“You may see businesses continue to be cautious for the rest of the summer until we see what the case count will be like long term,” said Wishart.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Town of Fort Nelson, B.C., ordered to evacuate due to wildfire
The entire town of Fort Nelson, B.C., as well as the nearby Fort Nelson First Nation, has been ordered to evacuate due to an out-of-control wildfire.
Bouchard lifts Edmonton Oilers to 4-3 overtime win over Canucks in Game 2
Evan Bouchard scored 5:38 into overtime and the Edmonton Oilers bounced back for a 4-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs on Friday.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Video shows naked raccoon catching B.C. family by surprise
When Marvin Henschel spotted a strange and hairless creature wandering through a front lawn in B.C.'s Lower Mainland, he could barely believe his eyes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Out-of-control wildfire prompts evacuation alert for Fort McMurray, Saprae Creek Estates Friday night
An evacuation alert was issued for two Wood Buffalo communities Friday night, as crews battled an out-of-control wildfire near Fort McMurray.