Discussions continue on how New Brunswick might be able to help Ontario battle the third wave of COVID-19.
On the weekend, federal officials reached out to premiers in Atlantic Canada to see what support they might be able to lend.
Premier Blaine Higgs said he has asked the province’s two regional health authorities if any personnel would be willing to volunteer
“We will always set priorities based on our province first,” Higgs told reporters Monday evening.
“I would not recommend anything other than ‘OK, are we meeting our own needs here first’ and we must.”
Earlier this week, Ottawa announced that Pfizer was stepping up with 8-million more doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.
While some of that makes up for shipment cuts by Moderna, Higgs said he would be OK with the extra going to COVID hot zones, including the Edmundston region.
“We’ve been the border guard for the Atlantic region so diverting vaccines to our northwest helps the whole Atlantic region, so that was the context in which I was suggesting this makes some sense,” he said.
A previous statement from the premier’s office said decisions will be made by the all-party COVID-19 cabinet committee and by cabinet with input from the health authorities.
Future Of The Atlantic Bubble
Meanwhile, Higgs said the Atlantic Bubble reopening could be delayed by another week or two.
But Higgs said he is not giving up on the bubble — or on opening up to the rest of Canada in early July.
“I believe that we’re gonna see a lot of vaccines come our way over May and June,” he said. “I think it’s a reflection of what’s happening in the U.S. and the fact that they’re catching up and Pfizer is producing vaccines at a rapid pace.”
The Atlantic Bubble was set to open this past Monday, April 19, but was delayed by two weeks given a recent surge in COVID-19 cases.
The premiers are set to meet again in the coming days to discuss the reopening of the bubble, said Higgs.
“The bubble could be delayed another week or two beyond May 3, time will tell. But do I think summer’s gonna come back to Canada? I’m gonna stay focused on that.”
