New Brunswick pulls out of bubble, will require all visitors to self-isolate

FREDERICTON — The Atlantic bubble that was pierced Monday when Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador left is now in tatters with New Brunswick’s announcement that it is pulling out.

As of midnight tonight, all visitors to New Brunswick, regardless of whether they live in Atlantic Canada, will be required to self-isolate for 14 days upon arrival.

New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs announced the new rules today at a press conference, saying the move is necessary to keep community transmission of COVID-19 out of the province.

The Atlantic bubble was introduced in July, allowing residents of the Atlantic provinces to travel freely within the region without having to self-isolate.

New Brunswick announced 12 new COVID-19 cases today, including eight in the Saint John region, one in the Moncton region and three in the Fredericton region.

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Saint John and Moncton have been identified as hot spots in Atlantic Canada, along with the city of Halifax in neighbouring Nova Scotia, and Higgs says with community transmission confirmed in Halifax, it remains an immediate risk to his province.