Higgs abandons pledge to make life 'uncomfortable' for the unvaccinated

Premier Blaine Higgs has abandoned a pledge to make life "increasingly uncomfortable" for the unvaccinated.

Asked whether the province's plan to introduce measures targeting New Brunswickers who don't get their COVID-19 shots is off the table, he replied, "I would say so."

"I think that, you know, we're moving on as a society and, you know, we're looking at our hospitalizations and they're coming down. They're kind of stabilized, but they're certainly not going up."

Hospitalizations hit a pandemic record-high of 165 on Feb. 2. As of Monday, they stood at 112.

New Brunswick recorded two more COVID-related deaths Monday, marking 64 deaths in the 17 days since the province returned to Level 2 from the most restrictive Level 3.

A month ago, when Higgs announced a 16-day lockdown to slow the spread of the highly transmissible Omicron variant and to allow time to administer more booster doses and vaccines, he said the province was "going to do what is necessary to protect all of New Brunswickers and to compel people to get vaccinated."

"Life will become increasingly uncomfortable and more difficult for those who are able to be vaccinated but choose not to be."

Higgs asked various departments for suggestions regarding where restrictions could be tightened for "those that refuse to help protect the masses."

"Everything" was "on the table," he said. Restricting access to events with mass gatherings and a health tax were among the ideas being explored.

"We cannot continue to revolve around an unvaccinated population that is having such a significant impact on 90 per cent of the people in this province," Higgs had said.

The next day, Higgs told CBC News the province might follow Quebec's lead and ask for proof of COVID-19 vaccination at liquor and cannabis stores.

"For people that just choose not to [get vaccinated] and they're impacting the health of the general public, we must find a solution," he said.

Two weeks ago, Higgs told reporters the ideas were still under review.

"We still have a report coming forward to understand the impact that those will have and analyzing what others are doing," he had said.