The Public Health State of Emergency was lifted at 12:01 a.m. this morning on the two-year anniversary of the province’s first known COVID case; and with it goes most of the remaining public health orders around masking, distancing, and capacity limits.
While COVID-19 has not ended – it most certainly hasn’t – people understand it better.
Newfoundlanders and Labradorians now understand what they need to do to protect themselves; they understand the risks of contracting COVID-19, and are prepared to live with that risk more than they are prepared to live with any further ongoing COVID-19 restrictions.
So, keep doing what you were doing to keep safe. If it makes you comfortable and secure, go and get vaccinated if you have not yet done so. While getting vaccinated will not prevent you from getting COVID-19, it will significantly protect you against getting sick or hospitalized.
But travel, go to work, have dinner with your friends, go to the movies, and go to your kids’ games, most importantly. You should be able to do all of these things without constantly assessing if your every activity is absolutely necessary. What’s necessary now is getting your life back to normal.
We want to thank all of you for the sacrifices that you’ve made over the past two years. We know that the people of Newfoundland and Labrador are ready for these next steps and to get our lives back on track.