N.B. Red Phase: Malls Considered Essential

FREDERICTON – With COVID-19 cases rising across the province of New Brunswick, the decision to move certain zones into the red phase was made earlier last week.

Dr. Jennifer Russell, New Brunswick’s chief medical officer of health, made the announcement on Jan. 19 during the daily COVID-19 briefing. She disclosed the Fredericton, Moncton and Saint John regions would be moving into the red phase at midnight.

A new list of COVID-19 restrictions has been put in place for the recovery phase, although, there isn’t much difference between the orange and red.

Per the restrictions, most non-essentials are closed, but the Regent Mall remains open for business. Retail employee, Hanna Ramsay, sees no difference between the two phases and thinks more measures should have been taken such as closing all non-essential places like Old Navy.

“I think the malls are indirectly contributing to transmission. Although it’s not directly, I think people seeing the malls closed would mean that the situation is pretty serious, and they’d know to stay home.”

Ramsay says clothes are not essential to people right now. She is working fewer hours a week due to the lack of customers in the store – which is good since people are staying home. But makes for a very slow four-hour shift.

When people do come in though, Ramsay has noticed not everyone is following the single household bubble restriction.

“Although I find most of the customers following the single bubble rule, I’m kind of suspicious of some of them not following that rule.”

With the red phase restrictions, many other non-essential businesses have had to temporarily shut down. All types of salons have had to close their doors and need to postpone appointments for their customers to a later date when salons are able to reopen again.

Gyms have also closed and will reopen when the zones move back into the orange recovery phase.

All restaurants are able to continue offering business to their customers, but dining-in is temporarily closed.

Restaurants are doing take-out, delivery and third-party delivery such as Skip the Dishes. Some restaurants around the city have even created different take-out bundles to boost sales.

Many New Brunswickers are hopeful the decrease of COVID-19 cases in the Fredericton zone with allow the province to move back into the orange recovery phase this week.