***ALL FERRIES TO AND FROM PEI ARE CANCELLED BY TODAY’S WINDSTORM
ATLANTIC BUBBLE ON HOLD FOR TWO WEEKS – NFLD AND PEI
As of midnight tonight, none of us will be able to go to PEI for a period of 2 weeks for anything deemed to be “non-essential travel.” PEI Premier Dennis King says the Atlantic Bubble is being suspended for that time-frame as Coronavirus caseloads rise here in Nova Scotia and in New Brunswick.
Newfoundland will leave the Atlantic Bubble on Wednesday of this week, so it appears that protective regional bubble is now broken, after successfully working for this region since it was set up on July 3rd.
“COMPLIMENTS” PASTRAMI RECALLED IN NOVA SCOTIA, ALBERTA, ONTARIO
Levitts Foods (Canada) Inc. is recalling Compliments brand smoked beef pastrami from the marketplace due to possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination. This product was distributed in Alberta, Nova Scotia, Ontario and possibly nationally.
Consumers should not consume the recalled product which is officially listed as Compliments Brand Smoked Beef Pastrami, in a 175 gram package. The best before date is December 25th .
The UPC Code ends with 068820133605. Anyone who thinks they became sick from consuming a recalled product should call a health professional. Recalled products should be thrown out or returned to the store where they were purchased. (CFIA Image)
NS GOVERNMENT CLAMPS DOWN ON THE SPREAD OF COVID WITH NEW RULES TODAY
Today is the day new rules kick in, making it illegal in Halifax and parts of Hants County for a close social group without physical distancing to gather with any more than 5 people. Before the premier made that announcement on Friday, that limit was 10 people.
There are 44 known active cases of COVID-19 in Nova Scotia. Two of the newest cases announced on the weekend are off-campus Dalhousie University students who study online. 16 new infections were identified over the weekend, with 11 of those coming from yesterday’s provincial update. (Sunday afternoon)
All 11 new cases are in the Central Zone. Six are connected to previously reported cases; and there are five of those cases that will need extra investigation to figure how where the COVID came from.
RAPID TESTING SITE IN HALIFAX ON THE WEEKEND
Nova Scotia’s first rapid COVID-19 testing site operated in downtown Halifax Saturday night, making use of the well-known nightclub known as “The Dome”, which has been closed since March, to target a population the province’s top doctor says is driving transmission of the coronavirus. Part of that group would be bar and restaurant employees. 140 of those were given rapid tests, along with 10 of their patrons. One of the patrons showed a positive result, so further test results on that person are expected soon.
Experts say it’s worth noting that’s an infection rate of eight-tenths of one per cent. But if that means anywhere close to 1 per cent of Nova Scotia’s total population is in the same boat, we might have more than 9,000 people infected with COVID in this province, who currently are not showing symptoms.
Also, there were 17 locations listed the by the Health Department last night as places of possible COVID exposure in the Halifax area. The link to those locations is here.
Looking to our neighbouring provinces:
They reported a single-day record of 23 cases on Saturday in New Brunswick and 6 more yesterday. It has 77 active cases with one person in hospital. Public Health in New Brunswick is now asking anyone who has travelled from the Halifax-area back to N.B. to self-monitor for COVID-19 symptoms for 14 days as a result of community spread that’s happening in Halifax.
The last time PEI reported a new COVID infection was back on November 11th. The Island currently has one active case.
TWO IMPAIRED DRIVING CHARGES IN NEW GLASGOW
New Glasgow Regional Police charged two drivers with being impaired over the weekend
Police responded to a 911 call of a two-vehicle motor collision at the corner of Nelson Street and McColl Street New Glasgow early Saturday morning just after 7 o’clock. The-47-year old female driver of the Black Toyota Echo collided with the driver of a White Dodge Pick up. Both drivers were treated for non-life-threatening injuries and both vehicles sustained heavy damage. The 47-year-old woman in the Toyota was a newly-licenses driver and faces several charges, including impaired.
And yesterday morning at 8:45, police spotted another vehicle that was travelling in the wrong direction on MacLean Street, New Glasgow. The 19-year-old man behind the wheel is facing impaired and alcohol possession charges.
New Glasgow Regional Police want to remind the public that if you suspect an impaired driver you can call 911. Police will ask the following information in suspected cases of impaired driving:
- license plate number
- make-model of vehicle
- description of driver
- location of vehicle
- direction of travel
TRUCKER ARRESTED IN DRUG AND CASH CASE NEAR ENFIELD
Halifax Police say a long-haul trucker from Porters Lake is facing a number of charges after a ‘significant’ amount of cocaine was seized from a vehicle, along with money and other items.
Officers stopped a vehicle on Highway 102 near the Enfield and the man in charge of that vehicle was arrested.
When police searched his vehicle, they found 9 kg of cocaine, around 140 packages of cannabis edibles, five cases of illegal tobacco and over $7,000 cash.
Police say 31-year old Terrence John Keeping is now facing a series of criminal charges.
NOVA SCOTIA NOW PART OF NATIONAL RENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
Seven provinces, including Nova Scotia, have signed on to a federal rent assistance program created as part of the national housing strategy.
So far, the Liberals have only announced deals with four provinces to deliver the Canada Housing Benefit to vulnerable renters, meaning low-income families, Indigenous people, veterans and newcomers.
Money is already flowing to Nova Scotia, Ontario, Saskatchewan and British Columbia but documents tabled in the House of Commons last week show three more provinces have signed up, and they should be named within a matter of days.
The jointly funded federal-provincial housing benefit is tied to an individual, meaning it’s portable when a person or family moves to a new location.
HAWAII JOINS WITH WESTJET AND AIR CANADA TO
CREATE TRAVEL BUBBLE FOR CANADIANS
Canadians who don’t want to miss sunny days and hot temperatures for the Christmas holidays are being offered a new opportunity by Canada’s major airlines.
WestJet and Air Canada have signed an agreement with the state of Hawaii to allow guests travelling to the islands a chance to bypass the mandatory 14-day quarantine.
In order to do so, the airlines are offering pre-flight COVID-19 testing for all guests.
A negative test within 72 hours of departure to Hawaii will allow passengers to disembark from the plane and enjoy their vacation, quarantine-free.
David Ige, who is the governor of Hawaii, says the state has the lowest COVID-19 case rate in the U.S. He’s also confident that WestJet and Air Canada are taking all the proper precautions.
NOVA SCOTIA GIRL GETS NEW SET OF LUNGS DESPITE COVID SURGE
A teenaged girl who set out with her grandmother and mother last spring on an 1,800-kilometre RV trip to seek her new lungs has received the life-changing operation in an era of COVID-related delays.
Tahlia Ali left Halifax on May 20 after receiving word that medical specialists preferred she be near the University Health Network and the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto as the pandemic continued.
In June, when she last spoke to The Canadian Press, the 16-year-old said she felt ready for the oft-delayed operation, as her energy levels had fallen.
Her grandmother, Judy Robichaud, describes the double lung transplant performed on Monday as “very successful.”
She says the initial surgery to repair two holes in Tahlia’s heart was somewhat more difficult than expected because the heart was more enlarged than anticipated. Robichaud estimates the dual operations required 13 hours. (Cdn Press)
LOCAL SPORTS
In Maritime Junior A Hockey….
The Crushers picked up an OT win over the Bearcats last night, with 2-1 the final score.
Fundy Highland U13AA Subway Selects Double Header against Quad Co. Pirates yesterday
1st game was a 2 all tie in the Hector Arena
Goals going to Chelsea Boyle and Lexi MacIntyre assts to Rogan Vint and Kayla Patriquin
The 2nd game was a 3-0 win at the Trenton Minor Rink for the U13AA Subway Selects
Goal and Asst to Ada Martin. Rogan Vint skated away with a goal and asst and the final goal of the game going to Sam Guitard.
