NS Premier Iain Rankin and NS Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Robert Strang (Photo: CNS)
New travel restrictions have been announced for Nova Scotia.
This comes amid rising COVID-19 cases related to travel and early signs of possible community spread in the Halifax area.
Starting on Thursday at 8 a.m, anyone from outside Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador will not be permitted to enter that province unless their travel is deemed essential or they are permanent residents. These new restrictions will be in place for at least four weeks.
Premier Iain Rankin says, “I know that some may be disappointed by this,” said Rankin. “But as premier, I have committed to ensure that we continue to look out for the public safety of Nova Scotians and take action where required.”
According to the province the types of travel from outside Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island or Newfoundland and Labrador considered essential are:
- people who live in Nova Scotia but their primary employment is in another province
- federally approved temporary foreign workers
- people who need to participate in person in a legal proceeding in another province
- post-secondary students coming to study in Nova Scotia
- post-secondary students returning to their primary or family residence in Nova Scotia and parents who accompany them
- parents picking up a student in Nova Scotia to take them home as quickly as possible
- people who can demonstrate that they already have a new permanent address in Nova Scotia as of April 21 and are moving here permanently
- people travelling for child custody reasons following the child custody protocol
- people who are exempt from self-isolation following the exempt traveller protocol
- people travelling between Nova Scotia and New Brunswick for work, school or children in child care, following conditions in the protocol for travel between these provinces
The province announced nine new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday.
Chief Medical Officer of Health, Doctor Robert Strang, discussed what Nova Scotians need to be doing at this time.
“We do need people to pay attention. This increase in COVID-19 activity is a warning sign,” said Strang. “We have been in this position before and we’ve worked together to reduce case numbers. The border measures are critical and will help but there are things that all of us need to do as well.”
