Nova Scotia Rolls Back New Covid-19 Restrictions After Less Than A Week
HALIFAX—The Nova Scotia government has walked back public health restrictions meant to curb the spread of Covid-19, less than a week after first announcing them.
Last Friday, the province tightened restrictions on restaurants, sports games, cultural performances, weddings and funerals, and travel to and from the HRM and surrounding communities. The restrictions were originally intended to stay in place until March 27.
At the time, Covid-19 cases in the province appeared to be surging. That day, the province announced 10 new Covid-19 cases (nine of which were in the Central Zone) bringing the total case count in the province over 30.
“Covid is making a comeback in our province,” Rankin said.
Today, the province issued a news release saying many of the rules it announced on Feb. 26 are no longer needed. As of March 5, most of them will be put back to the level they were at before last Friday’s announcement.
That means restaurants will be allowed to stay open until 11 p.m., non-essential travel in and out of the HRM will once again be allowed, sports games and arts performances will be allowed a limited number of spectators, and weddings and funerals will have gathering limits bumped back up.
In today’s news release, Premier Iain Rankin said the case numbers he has seen this week warrant lifting the restrictions early.
“I know that restrictions can have a significant impact on businesses, but safety is always the first priority, and I want to thank Nova Scotians for following public health advice as that has allowed us to ease them earlier,” Rankin said.
Dr. Robert Strang, the province’s chief medical officer of health, said the record number of Nova Scotians who turned out for Covid-19 tests over the past week gave public health officials “a bigger picture of the virus in the HRM and elsewhere in the province.”
He said those tests were a “critical” part of today’s decision.
Today, the province announced three new Covid-19 cases. With recoveries that have happened over the past week, the total number of active cases in the province remains relatively steady, at 29.
While restaurant dining hours, sports games, and cultural performances all had restrictions loosened, not every restriction announced on Friday is being rolled back.
Residents of long-term care facilities will still only be allowed visits from their two designated caregivers and can only leave the facility for medical appointments or for a drive with a designated caregiver.
That restriction will remain in place until March 27 in HRM and its surrounding municipalities.
Rankin and Strang are scheduled to give their next Covid-19 update on March 5.
