Since Saturday, grocery stores in New Brunswick have been allowed to ban those who do now show a vaccine passport. Authorities are trying to justify the measure as a way to keep Covid infections down.
Announcing the “winter action plan” the government of New Brunswick allowed all businesses, businesses that provide essentials such as food, to require proof of vaccination from clients.
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The province’s health minister Dorothy Shephard justified the move by saying the rise in the number of cases was “very concerning.”
Critics are already seeing the plan is a potential violation of human rights, because it would allow stores to discriminate based on vaccination status and bar people from accessing food, which is a basic need.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, Canada has been the subject of controversy over restrictive measures. The federal government recently banned those without a vaccine passport from traveling domestically and internationally via air and trains.
Some provinces have also enforced vaccine mandates, preventing those who have not been vaccinated from entering restaurants and other public and entertainment venues.
According to a guide by Public Safety Canada, food is among the ten critical infrastructure sectors, and its delivery and preparation is considered an Essential Service and Function.
Provinces have been allowed to implement their own restrictions, but grocery stores have remained open to all, regardless of vaccination status.
