Canada: New Brunswick orders casinos to close amid surge in COVID-19 cases

Great Canadian Gaming Corporation said it suspended operations at Casino New Brunswick as of Tuesday, following the announcement that day from the New Brunswick provincial government that certain businesses, such as casinos, will be required to close in the effort to contain the spread of COVID-19. 

"Details regarding the reopening of Casino New Brunswick will be announced at a later date," the casino operator said in a press release. The casino had reopened in October, 2020.

New Brunswick has announced that more than half of the province will be in the red alert level of COVID-19 recovery, as it reported 31 new cases on Tuesday, Global News reports. As of midnight, Moncton, Saint John and Fredericton regions will transition to the red phase of COVID-19 recovery. The Edmundston region will also remain under the red alert level.

Premier Blaine Higgs said in a briefing that the province will not hesitate to announce even stricter measures if necessary. He said if the situation doesn’t improve, “a full lockdown like we saw in March of last year,” may be coming. Public Health is determining what a lockdown would look like at this point.