Nova Scotia will ease many COVID-19 restrictions provincewide, lift the remaining additional restrictions in Halifax Regional Municipality and open the border with New Brunswick on Saturday.
The changes, which will come into effect at 8 a.m. on Saturday, include:
- Household gatherings can now include the members of that household plus a maximum of 10 other people
- immediate family members who live in the same household can be together outdoors even if that is more than 10 people
- restaurants and licensed establishments can stop service by 11 p.m. and close by midnight
- fitness facilities continue to operate at 75 per cent capacity but can return to two metres between people for all activities
The move to loosen restrictions comes as Nova Scotia’s case numbers remain low.
“We are in a very good position with our epidemiology,” said Dr. Robert Strang, chief medical officer of health, at a news briefing Friday.
“While there is an end in sight, we have a few more months on this journey. We have the lowest per capita rate of COVID in Canada except for the Yukon and by caring for one another we can keep it that way.”
Three new cases of COVID-19 were reported Friday. The cases are in the central health zone and are all close contacts of previously reported cases.
Nova Scotia has 17 active cases of COVID-19, which is unchanged from yesterday.
Nova Scotia Health Authority's labs completed 2,549 Nova Scotia tests on March 18. Since Oct. 1, Nova Scotia has completed 275,460 tests. There have been 591 positive COVID-19 cases, 573 resolved cases and one death. No one is in hospital.
Nursing home visiting allowed again
These other restrictions were eased Friday:
- visitors are allowed in long-term care facilities
- events hosted by a recognized business or organization can have 150 outdoors or 50 per cent capacity to a maximum of 100 indoors
- events include social events, special events, sport events, arts and culture events, festivals, faith gatherings, weddings with receptions, and funerals with receptions and visitation
- meetings and training hosted by recognized businesses and organizations can have 150 outdoors or 50 per cent capacity to a maximum of 100 indoors and organized clubs can break into cohorts of 15 following the day-camp guidelines
- physical distancing is required for meetings and training except when emergency responders need to be closer than two metres for training
- licensed establishments, unlicensed establishments such as community centres and charities, and organized clubs can host activities such as darts, cards, pool, bowling, bingo or karaoke following guidelines for these activities
- visitors are allowed in adult residential centres and regional rehabilitation centres licensed by the Department of Community Services and residents can resume full community access
- retail businesses and malls operate at 75 per cent capacity and follow other public health measures
- sports practices and training and arts and culture rehearsals and performances can have 60 people without physical distancing
- sports games, competitions and tournaments are allowed within the team's regular competitive schedule
- spectators are allowed if the business or organization hosting the event has a gathering plan that follows event guidelines
Unchanged is the general gathering limit at 10 people indoors and outdoors. The penalty for breaking this rule is a $1,000 fine for each person at an illegal gathering.
As well, adult day programs for seniors remain closed provincewide until seniors living outside long-term care facilities receive COVID-19 vaccine.
N.B. border to open up
The four Atlantic premiers announced Thursday that the Atlantic Bubble would be re-established by April 19, provided that the cases of COVID-19 remained low.
Nova Scotia has gone further by announcing travellers between New Brunswick and Nova Scotia will not have to self-isolate as of 8 a.m. Saturday. This policy has applied only to Prince Edward Island up until now. Visitors from Newfoundland and Labrador must still follow the self-isolation requirements.
"We know that restrictions have been difficult for people and businesses in our Amherst border communities,” Premier Iain Rankin said at the news briefing.. “Dr. Strang made this recommendation based on the very similar epidemiology in both provinces. I know this will make life easier for Nova Scotians who have family in New Brunswick or who work in New Brunswick.”
Due to the weather, the following pop-up rapid #COVID-19 testing sites will delay their opening as follows:
— Nova Scotia Health (@HealthNS) March 19, 2021
-- Dalhousie University Goldberg Building site will now open at 2:30 p.m.
-- The Glasgow Square Theatre site will now open at 4 p.m. pic.twitter.com/7Sy2rQxDSx
Immunization expansion
As of March 18, 58,036 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered. Of those, 20,050 Nova Scotians have received their second dose.
The first immunizations to be delivered in a primary care setting will be done Saturday at the Truro Walk-In Clinic.
At the news briefing Friday, Strang said if the projected increases in vaccine supply hold steady, it's hoped all Nova Scotians will have the opportunity for their first vaccine dose by mid-June.
He also announced that anyone 80 and older who was born between Sept. 1 and Dec. 31 can start to book their COVID-19 vaccine as of 7 a.m. on Monday, March 22.
In addition to the community clinic appointments being made available next week, 2,600 appointments will also open for booking at 15 more pharmacies Monday. These pharmacies will be for anyone who is 80 and older and will offer the Moderna vaccine.
Strang encouraged all Nova Scotians to get vaccinated against COVID-19 as soon as they are eligible.
Transit workers see more people in one hour than most officers see in a 12 hr shift. Looking back over the last 12 months it was @hfxtransit workers @ATU_508 members had more COVID-19 infections than @HfxRegPolice
— Ken Wilson (@ATU508Pres) March 18, 2021
This is total BS. @atu_canada @ATUComm https://t.co/vVMJ9dYTBf
Police fast-track defended
He responded to questions at the briefing about the move this week to fast-track police officers to the second phase of the COVID-19 immunization program. Other groups who deal daily with the public - such as transit workers and public school teachers - also have lobbied to be immunized as soon as possible but they have been rebuffed.
Strang said police officers are often the first on-scene at medical emergencies. Since other first-responders such as paramedics and firefighters recently were moved into phase 2 of the immunization program, it made sense to treat police officers the same way, Strang said.
“We’re not treating them special in any way, we’re treating them equivalent that we’re doing with other emergency first-responders. … In Nova Scotia there’s very little risk of being exposed to COVID so the way we’re dealing with all occupations and all other medical groups is an age-based process because that allows all of them to get immunized the quickest and will protect them even while they’re waiting for vaccine.”
AstraZeneca still a go
Strang also addressed concerns about the AstraZeneca vaccine, which is being administered in Nova Scotia to people between 60 and 64 at 25 pharmacies and family doctors’ offices by appointment. Bookings opened Tuesday and the clinics will launch Saturday.
“There have been some very rare cases of unusual blood clotting, 25 cases and nine deaths out of about 20 million people vaccinated in the European Union and the United Kingdom,” he said. “At this time it has not been determined that these events are caused by the vaccine but that is a possibility and analysis is ongoing.”
There have been no similar events reported in Canada.
Strang noted health bodies in Europe and the U.K., as well as Health Canada, have concluded the benefits of getting the vaccine outweigh these rare events that are being seen.
