New Brunswick releases mandatory vaccine policy for government employees

FREDERICTON — Provincial government employees in New Brunswick have until Sept. 13 to provide proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 or be forced to wear masks and undergo regular testing.

The plan was announced last week by Premier Blaine Higgs but details were only released Thursday in an internal memo distributed to staff and obtained by The Canadian Press.

Government workers who are not fully vaccinated will have to wear masks unless they are alone in their personal workspaces, and they will have to complete three rapid tests for COVID-19 each week and the more invasive PCR test once a month.

If unvaccinated staff refuse to comply with the mask and testing order they could be fired.

New employees will have 45 days to provide proof of full vaccination or they will be terminated.

About 74 per cent of eligible New Brunswickers are fully vaccinated while 84 per cent have received at least one dose.