New Brunswick’s Official Opposition is demanding the Higgs Government provide the resources necessary to implement and execute the Covid-19 regulations they put in place.

“The Liberal Opposition has always supported strong public health measures to fight the spread of Covid-19” says Roger Melanson, Leader of the Official Opposition. “But when you implement a measure or give a directive you need to provide the resources necessary to execute it, which the Higgs government has not been doing.”

With the number of active cases increasing steadily over several weeks, the Higgs government has implemented public health measures such as a travel registration program, a proof of vaccination policy, and has started distributing rapid tests in schools and communities.

“What good is a travel registration program if there is no control at the borders? Where is the more secure QR code system for the proof of vaccination policy?” questions Roger Melanson. “They failed to properly resource the rapid testing kit pick-up centres in the circuit breaker zones over the weekend, and they are increasing the burden on teachers by not providing the additional resources necessary to properly manage the rapid testing program implemented last week.”

The Higgs Government has recently celebrated a surplus of over 400 million dollars for the last fiscal year and is projecting a sizeable surplus for the current fiscal year due in large part to millions of federal funds aimed at fighting Covid-19 going unused.

“Instead of patting themselves on the back, they should be looking at ways to use these funds to fight the crisis we are currently seeing in our communities, our schools, our long-term care homes and our hospitals” says the Leader of the Official Opposition. “Kids are getting sick, workers are burning out, and people are dying. We need real action now, not knee-jerk reactions.”