N.B. circuit breaker measures start Friday

• The New Brunswick government is imposing a series of tough health-protection measures — including gathering limits during the Thanksgiving holiday — to stop a surge in COVID-19 cases that is straining the province’s health-care system.

Among other measures, Premier Blaine Higgs announced Tuesday that all family gatherings during the upcoming long weekend must be limited to single households.

“This step is required to protect our health-care system and is aimed at achieving a reduction in hospitalizations,” Higgs said.

“Traditionally, Thanksgiving is a time that people gather with family and friends. But social gatherings of unvaccinated New Brunswickers is driving our current situation.”

The province’s plan also calls for a set of so-called circuit-breaker measures that will be imposed for two weeks on the upper Saint John River Valley, Edmundston, and the Moncton area.

“We have seen an unprecedented number of deaths, hospitalizations and ICU admissions over the last month — more than at any time since the pandemic began,” said Dr. Jennifer Russell, the province’s chief medical officer of health.

“With the health-care system under significant strain and the Thanksgiving holiday approaching, more actions are needed to protect the health and safety of New Brunswickers.”

Starting this Friday at 6 p.m., residents covered by the circuit-breaker restrictions must limit their contacts to their households. And that rule applies to all indoor and outdoor gatherings, except in public places where proof of vaccination is required. Travel to and from these areas is prohibited unless it is required for work purposes, health-care reasons and child custody arrangements.

The province is dealing with 782 active cases of COVID-19, triple the number of cases in neighbouring Nova Scotia.