New Restrictions As Covid-19 Makes ‘A Comeback’ In Nova Scotia
Last updated: March 1, 10 am.
HALIFAX—Nova Scotia is tightening public health restrictions in the Halifax area as Covid-19 cases in the province surge.
Premier Ian Rankin made the announcement Friday at the province’s regular Covid-19 update.
“I wish I had better news today, but unfortunately our case numbers continue to climb,” Rankin said. “Covid is making a comeback in our province.”
Case counts in the province have been on the rise over the past week. On Friday, the province announced 10 new Covid-19 cases, nine of which are in the Central Zone. As of Sunday, with three new cases reported that day, there were 38 total active cases in Nova Scotia.
Because of ballooning case counts in the HRM, and the fact that many of those cases can’t be traced to a specific source, the province is tightening public health restrictions in an area around the HRM (for more details, check out the map on the province’s Covid-19 resource page).
As of 8 a.m. February 27, restaurants and bars in the area will have to close 1 hour earlier. That means they will have to stop serving food at 9 p.m. and close their doors by 10 p.m.
Social events, festivals, and special events will also be banned. Sports and cultural performances in the HRM-area won’t be allowed, although practices and rehearsals can continue with no more than 25 people present.
Weddings and funerals will still be allowed as well, but attendance will be restricted to 10 people and receptions won’t be permitted.
Restrictions will also be imposed on long-term care homes, and the province is asking people not to travel to or from the HRM area unless that travel is essential.
“I fully appreciate how disruptive [these restrictions] are… however Covid-19 is a social virus so we need to focus our restrictions on social activities,” said Dr. Robert Strang, the province’s chief medical officer of health.
The restrictions will stay in effect for four weeks. However, Strang said more restrictions could be put in place if case numbers continue to climb.
Strang also said he is “very concerned” about some of the trends he is seeing in three key areas.
He said case numbers in the province are suddenly rising, several of the recent cases can’t be traced back to a specific source, and Nova Scotians are continuing to socialize as if they’re not in a pandemic.
“We’re seeing consistently that people are socializing frequently and in multiple social groups,” Strang said. “Clearly people are becoming far too relaxed.”
However, he said there is a path forward back to avoid further restrictions in the province.
“If you’re socializing in large of a variety of different groups or socializing without masking, you need to stop. If you’re going to work or going out and about with even one mild symptom, you need to stop. If you haven’t made testing part of your Covid-19 precautions, you need to start.”
“I know people are tired, I know it’s hard, but we have to stick with it. We’re getting close to the end but we cannot give up now,” Strang said. “We need to get this current surge of cases under control and do it quickly.”