At Monday’s news conference, Premier Blaine Higgs spoke about new orange phase enforcement efforts across the province, saying that more than 30 fines were issued over the week for violations of the Emergency Measures Act.
“Almost all were related to failing to wear a mask,” said Higgs. “Officers aren’t just checking mask usage. They are also inspecting businesses in all public places for compliance with the mandatory order which includes, but is not limited to, masking and the presence of COVID operational plans.”
Higgs addressed questions around confusion over outdoor mask rules. The province’s order has a sentence that reads:
“A mask is not required while walking, jogging or cycling with people in the same bubble, where they are unlikely to encounter people, or risk coming within two metres of, people from outside their bubble.”
Some have wondered if this means masks are required walking down a sidewalk even if there’s no one around. Higgs said that anyone who is outside and has the possibility of running into someone within two metres, should be wearing a mask.
In addition to outdoor masks, another requirement of the new orange is the need for bars and restaurants to check the ID of their patrons to make sure they are from the same household, and have given accurate contact tracing information.
“We are expecting owners of establishments to follow the public health rules and in the orange zone health rules do have stronger identification of patrons,” said Higgs. “If you’re coming into a restaurant with a party of six, there needs to be some way to identify that party of six is coming from the same household,” he said. “And so we’re asking for identification, address and information.”
Business owners are obliged to turn away patrons that refuse to provide this information, said Higgs, and if restaurant staff or owners have issues with patrons when it comes to enforcing COVID-19 rules, they should call for assistance.
“But we’re asking people not to put them in that position, not to try to game the system,” said Higgs. “Just be part of the solution. Let’s keep this together. Let’s not lose it, when we’re so close to the finish line.”
The requirement for people to show ID in a restaurant or bar could put restaurant staff and patrons in an awkward position, and even opens the door for unfair treatment.
Some students living in Sackville have pointed out that IDs do not always reflect current household addresses, which could present problems.
There are examples of COVID-19 rule enforcement being applied unfairly. During the summer, Champlain mall cleaning staff who had been asked to enforce the mall’s COVID-19 seating rules, kicked out a pair of mall customers who happened to be Mount Allison students, and also of Asian background. The students say they were racially profiled and discriminated against, and Champlain Mall management confirmed they were treated unfairly and apologized. They also changed their policy, no longer requiring staff to enforce the mall’s COVID-19 seating rules.
In addition to the potential of the new ID requirement to make way for unfair enforcement, the new rule will also place considerable stress on restaurant and bar staff, who are being asked to enforce ID checks in their establishments.
In a post on social media, Joey’s Pizza and Pasta in Sackville said that although they will be using a “common sense approach” to the new rule, they are asking customers to “please be patient and accommodating with our staff-we could face hefty fines if a mistake is made, something we can’t afford right now.”