'Remember the 46 New Brunswickers,' N.B. to go green after 499 days of emergency order: RCMP
According to the New Brunswick RCMP, Friday will mark 499 days since the COVID-19 emergency order was put in place by the province.
And on Saturday at 12:01 a.m., that order won't be renewed – which will mean the removal of all restrictions, from border checks to masks.
In a statement Tuesday, the RCMP's assistant commissioner Larry Tremblay thanked frontline workers and asked that people still follow public health recommendations to stop future spread.
"As we mark the end of the Emergency Measures Act, and move toward a post-pandemic world, please take a moment to remember the 46 New Brunswickers who lost their lives to COVID-19, as well as the many others who have endured the loss of loved ones during this challenging time," he said.
There is a cautious optimism as the last days of the mandatory order tick by.
Liberal leader Roger Melanson says he hasn't decided if he'll keep using masks after Saturday.
"I do know a lot of New Brunswickers are thinking about it," he said.
While he believes the 81.6 per cent of people who have their first dose will get their second, they may not be quick about it.
"What I'm concerned about is the speed of people going for their second shots," he said. "It is summer, the weather is nice and people have things to do, like vacationing and spending time with family and friends. Certainly now with more freedom after Friday, it may not always be top of mind to go for their second dose."
Monday saw a lower vaccine turnout, at about 2,500 people.
The average Monday in July has been about 10,000.
New Brunswick Lung Association CEO Melanie Langille is hoping there's a consideration for one another's health as the province moves into the next phase.
"I hope to see that mask-wearing becomes something that we're comfortable with," she said. "If you have signs of a respiratory infection and you need to go to the grocery store, it would be great if everybody just continues to wear masks to protect each other."
But she says from a COVID management perspective, the province has been proactive.
"I'm quite confident that in our reopening we have weighed the benefits and the potential risks quite well, against the potential overwhelming of our hospital system and the rate of vaccination that we have in our general population, that this is going to be a positive step going forward."
Administrators at the University of New Brunswick say the move to green will also mean they can increase class sizes in September.
"Although some health and safety protocols will remain, physical distancing will no longer be required in classrooms when New Brunswick moves to Green," the university said in a statement. "Over the next few weeks, we will work with faculty to explore opportunities to increase in-person course offerings. Any changes to course delivery methods will be updated in the course timetable by Wednesday, Aug. 11."
The N.B. government is also making plans for Aug. 2 – New Brunswick day. A full schedule of festivities have been planned for the Fredericton-area – including a livestream of some events for those who feel more comfortable viewing from home.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Cargo ship had engine maintenance in port before Baltimore bridge collapse, officials say
The cargo ship that lost power and crashed into a bridge in Baltimore underwent 'routine engine maintenance' in port beforehand, the U.S. Coast Guard said Wednesday.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Far North police 'dispatch' polar bear stalking schoolyard
Police and local hunters in an Ontario Far North First Nation community have “dispatched” a polar that was showing abnormal behaviour and treating the area as a hunting ground.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.
Families shocked after Niagara Falls hotel cancels bookings made year in advance of solar eclipse
After having the foresight to book their Niagara Falls hotel rooms more than a year in advance, several families planning to take in the solar eclipse next month were shocked to find out their reservations had been cancelled.
B.C. rescuers face 'high likelihood' of failure to reunite orphaned orca with pod
The race to reunite an orphaned orca calf that’s stuck in a shallow lagoon with a neighbouring pod has entered its fifth day, and a marine scientist says the clock is ticking.
Video shows police interrupting auto theft in progress outside Toronto home
New video footage obtained by CP24 shows the attempted theft of a vehicle in a North York driveway earlier this month that was ultimately interrupted by police.
Majority of Canadians believe in life after death: Angus Reid survey
A new survey from the Angus Reid Institute has found that a majority of Canadians believe in some form of life after death, a proportion that has held steady for decades.
MyPillow, owned by U.S. election denier Mike Lindell, formally evicted from Minnesota warehouse
A court ordered the eviction Wednesday of MyPillow from a suburban Minneapolis warehouse that it formerly used.