New Brunswick Pharmacists Association has stated that some businesses might be required to keep COVID-19 restrictions even after the province goes green on Friday. Some pharmacies will be required to keep restrictions such as mask-wearing, sanitizing hands and keeping Plexiglas dividers in place even after July 30.
Jake Reid, the executive director of the New Brunswick Pharmacists Association, explains:
“As a healthcare setting, [pharmacies] need to be cautious. Decisions will be made on a store–by–store basis.”
Reid said that some people who enter a pharmacy to get a COVID-19 vaccine will most likely be asked to wear a mask. Still, some pharmacies in New Brunswick are part retail, part healthcare setting, and they will need to follow specific rules. Reid added that people might be required to wear a mask as they approach the counter to make a purchase, despite the province going green.
“But we need to make it very clear to create a non-discriminatory atmosphere,” said Reid.
Louis-Philippe Gauthier, a senior director for the Atlantic branch of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, explained that some rules must remain in place. He added:
“There are a few musts. For example, hand washing stations, making sure the ventilation is adequate, having somebody designated to listen to Public Health orders.”
Reid concluded that, even as these measures seem harsh, they need to be respected because of public safety concerns. He concluded:
“I think people will understand. We are not getting vaccinated because we want to reopen the economy, we are getting vaccinated because we don’t want to get sick and we don’t want people to die.”
