New Brunswick enters green phase with no pandemic restrictions
At midnight Friday, New Brunswick will lift all of its pandemic-related restrictions despite not reaching its vaccination target.
It's a move that some experts have criticized as being too sudden and not based in science.
As of Friday, the province is reporting that 66.7 per cent of the eligible population is now fully vaccinated. The province's original plan for getting to "green" was to hit the 75 per cent mark.
When the clock strikes 11:59 p.m. Friday night, the Plexiglas panels at the Cask and Kettle pub in uptown Saint John are coming down -- part of the changes taking place as New Brunswick goes "green."
"Masks will be optional for our staff and for our customers," said Cask & Kettle owner Shawn Verner. "They'll be on hand if a customer requests a server to wear a mask, we'll put it back on, but for the most part we'll be unmasked here."
At the Saint John City Market, starting Saturday morning, masks will no longer be required, the directional arrows on the ground will be removed, and the main eating area will be back to its pre-pandemic capacity.
"It's going to be weird at first," said Andrew MacDonald, the manager at the Saint John City Market. "People are used to this, but it's going to be a lot more open kind of route of traffic, and people can kind of come and go as they please. All the doors will be open, it's kind of crazy, it's been a while it's been like this."
When New Brunswick lifts its mandatory order, it means an end to all pandemic-related restrictions and mixed feelings for businesses.
"There's a sense of relief because it's been a really challenging 17 months and I think a lot of them are looking forward to perhaps recapturing some of that revenue that they've lost during that period," said John Wishart of the Greater Moncton Chamber of Commerce.
Wishart says there's also a sense of uncertainty of not knowing how to operate in this "new world" -- a new world and a new path that hasn't been without its share of criticism.
New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs stands behind the decision to give the "green light" to reopening.
"Public Health reviewed all the science on this and what's going on around us and said 'we're comfortable to move,'" Higgs said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Trudeau promises $1B in loans for child-care providers to expand care centres
The federal government is launching a new loan program to help child-care providers in Canada expand their spaces, and will be extending further student loan forgiveness and training options for early childhood educators, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
Spring allergy season has begun. Where is it worse in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
N.B. man wins $64 million from Lotto 6/49
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.