Mr. Speaker, in mid-March, in light of ongoing efforts to help contain COVID-19, Service NL discontinued regular counter service at the Motor Registration Division in Mount Pearl and all Government Service Centres throughout the province.

Although counter service was suspended due to the public health emergency, Service NL continued to provide the majority of services to clients through alternate service channels, such as online, email, teleservices and drop boxes.

Mr. Speaker, I am delighted that as of today, in-person services for written and practical driver examinations are resuming with safety measures in place. However, I would be remiss if I did not recognize the incredible uptake in our online services available at MyGovNL.ca.

Since the COVID-19 public health emergency, more than 98 per cent of vehicle renewals have been conducted online. This is compared to 75 per cent during the same time period in 2019. There has also been a significant uptake in the number of driver’s licence renewals conducted online, with over 92 per cent of drivers renewing via the web – an increase from 47 per cent during the same period last year.

While Service NL is beginning a phased-in approach to various in-person services today, we ask residents to continue to use government’s online services available at MyGovNL.ca. I would like to thank staff of Service NL who have continued to provide services throughout the pandemic. I would also like to thank clients for their patience during this time and, as services resume, encourage continued safety practices.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.