Travellers from outside the bubble still can't visit N.B. hospitals

Under New Brunswick's current travel restrictions, people from anywhere in Canada who have at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine can enter the province without having to isolate

But they still can't visit loved ones in hospital.

The Horizon Health Network and Vitalité Health Network updated visitor policies on their websites on June 18. Anyone travelling within the expanded Atlantic bubble, which includes some border towns in Quebec, can visit their facilities.

However, visitors who have travelled outside of the bubble in the last 14 days "will require an exemption prior to being permitted to visit patients within a Horizon facility."

"New Brunswick is on the Path to Green, but Yellow Level safety measures are still in place at Horizon facilities to protect our patients and staff," Horizon Health said on its website. 

In addition to the travel restrictions, patients are still only allowed one healthy visitor at a time, between 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. They will be screened prior to entering the facilities. 

Limited isolation for health-care workers

The health networks also updated policies for isolation requirements for staff who decide to travel. 

Health-care workers and doctors who have been vaccinated with two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine are not required to self-isolate if they leave the Atlantic bubble and return to New Brunswick. 

They must monitor their symptoms and get tested on the first, fifth and 10th day after they've returned. 

That does not include travel outside of Canada. Each case of international travel will be assessed on a case-by-case basis. 

Health-care workers who have just one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, or who refuse to disclose their vaccination status, and who travel outside of the Atlantic bubble are not allowed back at work for 10 days once they have returned to the province. 

They must also be tested on the first, fifth and 10th day after they've returned.