HALIFAX Health officials in Nova Scotia are reporting 70 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday. According to Public Health, 59 of Thursday s cases are in the province s Central zone, nine are in the Eastern zone, two are in the Northern zone, and none are being reported in the Western Zone. As announced Saturday, the province is no longer including an exposure category (travel, close contact, etc.), citing increased investigations. The province says there is evidence of community spread in Nova Scotia’s Central zone. Public Health says the province’s other zones, Eastern, Northern, and Western, are being monitored for signs of community spread.
HALIFAX As the province locked down Wednesday to slow the spread of COVID-19, Nova Scotia Premier Iain Rankin said the measures are part of a broader strategy to beat back the virus. We are limiting movement, we are testing at a record rate to detect the virus and we are rolling out our vaccine, Rankin said as health officials reported 75 new COVID-19 cases. The figure was down from the record 96 cases reported by the province Tuesday. Rankin meanwhile said the province is working to alleviate child care pressures for essential workers while schools are closed over the next two weeks, asking those who can to give up their spaces temporarily.
HALIFAX The opening of the so-called Atlantic bubble is delayed once again as COVID-19 case counts climb in the region.
According to a release Wednesday night from Nova Scotia Premier Iain Rankin, the Council of Atlantic Premiers decided to keep provincial travel restrictions in place, and therefore keep the bubble closed.
The travel bubble was first opened last summer to allow Atlantic Canadian residents to travel freely between the four provinces without self-isolating.
The four premiers originally hoped to reinstate the bubble on April 19, but a COVID-19 outbreak in New Brunswick prompted them to push the opening to May 3 at the earliest.
NS Premier Iain Rankin and NS Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Robert Strang (Photo: CNS)
Nova Scotia Premier Iain Rankin has announced a two week province-wide shutdown or circuit breaker.
“This is not the time for half measures,” said Premier Rankin. “We need strong, quick action to drive this virus out of our province. If we took an incremental approach, we’d likely end up in the same place. We need to regain control over this virus.”
The new restrictions include closing most retail businesses, reducing gatherings to household bubbles and closing public and private schools across the province.