Strang Says Restrictions Aren’t The Answer To Surging Covid-19
HALIFAX—Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations have spiked significantly in Nova Scotia, but the province’s top doctor says mandatory public health restrictions aren’t the answer.
Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia’s chief medical officer of health, told reporters on April 7 that the province is moving into a “transition phase” in its response to the pandemic.
That means doing away with many of the more severe measures the province used during its “acute response phase.”
“Restrictions and mandates played a very important role, especially before we had vaccines and while we were still trying to understand a new virus. But public health restrictions were never meant to be in place forever. They can’t be in place forever,” Strang said.
He said public health restrictions bring their own set of harms to society—things like mental health challenges and effects on the economy and jobs—and those challenges must be weighed against the benefits of restrictions.
“We do need to control Covid but we also need to consider the very real consequences of the measures we use to control it—it’s all about balance,” Strang said.
He added that the balance has now “fundamentally shifted” to the point that the province “can no longer justify the use of restrictive measures and mandates.”
Strang, Premier Tim Houston (who was not at the briefing), and the provincial government have faced sharp criticism this week for what many argue is confusing messaging around Covid-19.
Houston and Strang appeared in an online video on April 6 encouraging Nova Scotians to “get back out there.” New provincial marketing material also features restaurant-goers appearing to “clink forks” full of food.
Meanwhile, Strang and public health officials continue to urge Nova Scotians to protect themselves against Covid-19 by wearing masks indoors and following other safety measures.
When asked about the government’s decision not to make masks mandatory, Strang reiterated Public Health’s “strong recommendations” but said, “the policy decision around that is up to others.”
The provincial messaging comes as Public Health says it is seeing “a continued increase” in positive lab tests as a result of the “highly infectious and transmissible” Omicron and BA.2 variants.
Those infections are pushing hospitalizations higher. However, the province says the risk of “severe illness” is lower than in previous Covid-19 waves.
From March 31 to April 6, there were 61 new hospital admissions and 32 discharges related to Covid-19. That left 57 people in hospital with the illness on April 6
Over the same period, eight people died related to Covid-19 infections
Dr. Strang continues to stress that vaccinations are one of the most important defenses against the virus. The province says more than 87 percent of Nova Scotians have two or more vaccine doses.
The province also announced on April 7 that Nova Scotians 70 and older can now receive a second booster vaccine.
Trevor Nichols is the associate editor of Huddle, based in Halifax. Send him your feedback and story ideas: [email protected].