New Brunswick Just Went Into A State Of Emergency As The Province Battles A Fourth Wave
Fines for disobeying the order can range between $480 and $20,400.
A state of emergency has been reinstated in New Brunswick as hospitalizations due to COVID-19 continue to rise in the province.
On Friday, September 24, the government announced that the mandatory order would come into effect at 11:59 p.m.
The order will include "new measures to limit contacts, ensure physical distancing is maintained, and require certain businesses and events to have a vaccination or masking-and-testing workplace policy," according to a news release issued by the government.
People will be required to limit their contacts to those within their household plus 20 consistent contacts. Many businesses will be required to ensure that their employees are fully masked or that they wear a mask and get tested regularly.
And you definitely don't want to disobey the order because fines can range from $480 to $20,400.
"The situation we are facing with the fourth wave of COVID-19 is very serious," said Dr. Jennifer Russell, the province's chief medical officer of health, during a press conference. "We knew there would be more cases of COVID-19 after the mandatory order was lifted in July. But the pace of this fourth wave is beyond what we had anticipated."
Health officials also confirmed that as of Friday, September 24, there were 78 new cases of COVID-19 in the province.