****There’s a major detour on the Stellarton Roundabout today.  Drivers will be detoured onto the Westville Road until 4:30 pm.

LARGEST HOSPITALS IN PICTOU AND COLCHESTER COUNTIES IMPOSE VISITOR RESTRICTIONS

Effective today, Wednesday, November 25th, the following exceptions to the visitor restrictions are in place at Colchester East Hants Health Centre in Truro and the Aberdeen Hospital  in New Glasgow.

No visitors are allowed except for:

Two designated support people per day for:

• palliative care and other patients nearing end of life

• patients receiving medical assistance in dying

• children under 18 admitted to hospital

• labour and birth

One designated support person for:

• children under 18 in outpatient settings

• prenatal visits

• inpatient and outpatients, including patients arriving at the hospital for cancer care, emergency, and ambulatory care clinics, appointments or procedures) who need support to receive care due to physical, intellectual, cognitive and emotional conditions

• patients requiring support for critical treatment decisions such as organ transplantation, initiation of hemodialysis at the discretion of the clinical team

Please note: ALL visitors and support people entering Nova Scotia Health facilities must be screened at the building entrance or 72 hours before presenting at a building entrance

• Visitors who report any risk factor for COVID-19, including travel outside of the Atlantic bubble within 14 days for any reason or household contact with someone who has travelled outside the Atlantic bubble within 14 days for any reason, are not permitted in Nova Scotia Health facilities. Exceptions will be considered for compassionate reasons in consultation with IPAC.

• Visitors who have had potential exposure to COVID-19 through presence in a location subject to a notification from Public Health that requires individuals to self-isolate and be tested, will not be permitted in Nova Scotia Health facilities until 14 days after the potential exposure, even if they have had a negative COVID-19 test. Exceptions will be considered for compassionate reasons in consultation with IPAC.

These changes do not apply to Nova Scotia Health long-term care facilities. Visitation restrictions in long-term care are mandated under the Health Protection Order.

POLICE STANDOFF ENDS IN NEW GLASGOW

Regional Police have been at the scene of a stand-off at a home on Kennedy Court in New Glasgow that has now been resolved.  A man who barricaded himself inside was taken into custody for treatment under the involuntary psychiatric care act with no serious injuries.

TEST OF THE EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM THIS AFTERNOON

Expect an emergency public alert on your radios, televisions and smart phones today as part of a countrywide test of the system.  The exact time of the test will vary depending on the province or territory.  For us here in the Atlantic time zone, it’s at 1:55 this afternoon,  For a wireless device to receive a test alert, the CRTC says it needs to be connected to an LTE wireless or a newer wireless network, it must be wireless public alerting compatible and equipped with a recent Canadian version of its operating software. If a mobile device meets these conditions and does not receive the test, the CRTC encourages us to contact our phone companies.

MCNEIL SAYS “THIS IS OUR COVID-19 WAKE UP CALL”

There’ve been 37 new coronavirus infections in the latest provincial update, with one of those cases near where the Northern Health Zone borders Halifax Central zone being connected to a case in Halifax.  There is also a lone student infection in the Annapolis Valley. That student has not been in class this week and Northeast Kings Education Centre in Canning is now closed for deep-cleaning for the rest of this week.

Despite that, and two school cases in Halifax County last week, Doctor Robert Strang says none of the three cases affecting Nova Scotia students occurred inside the schools themselves.

Strang also says Halifax restaurant owners urging a shutdown of their own industry this week are saying “We’re taking the pain because we know we’re part of a larger community.”  Strang says applying tight restrictions early makes good economic sense.

New restrictions for a 2-week period starting at one minute after midnight tonight (12:01 AM Thursday, Nov 26^th) mean:

• All bars and restaurants in the Halifax area will be restricted to take-out only for two weeks
• All Halifax-area retailers will be limited to 25 per cent of their normal maximum number of shoppers
• People are being told not to travel to Halifax if you live outside that health zone for anything that’s non-urgent, and vise-versa for people thinking of leaving Halifax for the more rural health zones
• The province-wide idea of travelling outside a local zone to play sports is now restricted to play just within your local or regional area, and there is no longer any extracurricular non-sports activity between any 2 or more schools across the province
• If you live in Halifax and see gatherings of more than 5 people, authorities want you to call police, and if the gatherings contain more than 10 people who aren’t social distancing outside of the Halifax area, people here are also being asked to call police
• The maximum fine for disobeying the 5-person gathering rules in Halifax and the 10-person rules for the rest of Nova Scotia is now $1,000 per person  – a huge increase from the previous $1,000 fine for each gathering
• In addition, the rules for visiting long-term care homes province-wide means they’re now limited to staff, volunteers and designated caregivers.

Premier McNeil says if we think the explosion of new infections won’t come out to our more rural areas and small towns, we’re being naïve.  The premier says he knows he’s asking a lot of Nova Scotians to keep the coronavirus from taking over, but it will be worth it to save lives and the provincial economy.  He says if you needed a wake-up call for the second wave of the pandemic “this is it. “  (NS Gov’t Photo)

·     The Pint Public House (1575 Argyle St, Halifax) on Nov. 14 between 10:00 p.m. and close. It is anticipated that anyone exposed to the virus at this location on the named date may develop symptoms up to, and including, Nov. 28.

·     The BOARD ROOM GAME CAFÉ (1256 Barrington St, Halifax) on Nov. 14 between 9:30 p.m. and close. It is anticipated that anyone exposed to the virus at this location on the named date may develop symptoms up to, and including, Nov. 28.

·     Bearly’s House of Blues & Ribs (1269 Barrington St, Halifax) on Nov. 14 between 10:30 p.m. and close. It is anticipated that anyone exposed to the virus at this location on the named date may develop symptoms up to, and including, Nov. 28.

·     Durty Nellys (1645 Argyle St, Halifax) on Nov. 15 between 4:30 p.m. and close; Nov. 16 between 4:30 p.m. and close; Nov. 19 between 10:30 p.m. and close; and Nov. 20 between 10:00 a.m. and 2 p.m. It is anticipated that anyone exposed to the virus at this location on the named dates may develop symptoms up to, and including, Dec. 4.

·     Nova Scotia Health – QEII Halifax Infirmary X-ray Department Waiting Area (1799 Robie St, Halifax) on Nov. 17 between 8:45 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. It is anticipated that anyone exposed to the virus at this location on the named date may develop symptoms up to, and including, Dec. 1.

·     Darrell’s Halifax (5516 Fenwick St, Halifax) on Nov. 17 between 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. It is anticipated that anyone exposed to the virus at this location on the named date may develop symptoms up to, and including, Dec. 1.

·     Kai Brady’s aka The Fickle Frog Pub (5679 Spring Garden Rd, Halifax) on Nov. 17 between 11:30 p.m. and close. It is anticipated that anyone exposed to the virus at this location on the named date may develop symptoms up to, and including, Dec. 1.

·     Mary’s African Cuisine (1701 Barrington St, Halifax) on Nov. 19 between 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. It is anticipated that anyone exposed to the virus at this location on the named date may develop symptoms up to, and including, Dec. 3.

·     Obladee Wine Bar (1600 Barrington St, Halifax) Nov. 19 between 9:30 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. It is anticipated that anyone exposed to the virus at this location on the named date may develop symptoms up to, and including, Dec. 3.

·     Jack Astors (107 Shubie Dr, Dartmouth) on Nov. 19 between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. It is anticipated that anyone exposed to the virus at this location on the named date may develop symptoms up to, and including, Dec. 3.

·     Starbucks (5991 Spring Garden Rd, Halifax) on Nov. 19 between 2:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. It is anticipated that anyone exposed to the virus at this location on the named date may develop symptoms up to, and including, Dec. 3.

·     Freeman’s Little New York (6092 Quinpool Rd, Halifax) on Nov. 19 between 2:30 p.m. and 4:40 p.m. It is anticipated that anyone exposed to the virus at this location on the named date may develop symptoms up to, and including, Dec. 3.

·     Hermitage (1460 Lower Water St, Halifax) on Nov. 19 between 4:00 p.m. and close. It is anticipated that anyone exposed to the virus at this location on the named date may develop symptoms up to, and including, Dec. 3.

·     Sea Smoke Restaurant and Bar (1477 Lower Water St, Halifax) on Nov. 19 between 3:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. It is anticipated that anyone exposed to the virus at this location on the named date may develop symptoms up to, and including, Dec. 3.

·     Little Oak Bar (1475 Lower Water St, Halifax) on Nov. 19 between 5:00 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. It is anticipated that anyone exposed to the virus at this location on the named date may develop symptoms up to, and including, Dec. 3.

·     Gahan House (5239 Sackville St, Halifax) on Nov. 20 between 8:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. It is anticipated that anyone exposed to the virus at this location on the named date may develop symptoms up to, and including, Dec. 4.

·     Halifax Alehouse (1717 Brunswick St, Halifax) on Nov. 20 between 9:30 and close. It is anticipated that anyone exposed to the virus at this location on the named date may develop symptoms up to, and including, Dec. 4.

·     Sourwood Cider (5576 Cornwallis St, Halifax) on Nov. 20 between 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. It is anticipated that anyone exposed to the virus at this location on the named date may develop symptoms up to, and including, Dec. 4.

·     The Local Bar and Restaurant (2037 Gottingen St, Halifax) on Nov. 20 between 8:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. It is anticipated that anyone exposed to the virus at this location on the named date may develop symptoms up to, and including, Dec. 4.

·     Orange Theory Fitness (6140 Young St, Halifax) on Nov. 17 between 6:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m.; on Nov. 18 between 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.; on Nov. 20 between 8:45 a.m. and 11:15 a.m.; and Nov. 21 between 7:45 a.m. and 9:45 a.m. It is anticipated that anyone exposed to the virus at this location on the named dates may develop symptoms up to, and including, Dec. 5.

·     Mercantile Social (1579 Hollis St, Halifax) on Nov. 21 between 8:30 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. It is anticipated that anyone exposed to the virus at this location on the named date may develop symptoms up to, and including, Dec. 5.

·     Do not go directly to a COVID-19 assessment centre without being directed to do so

The Mayor of Cape Breton Regional Municipality, Amanda McDougall says closing down the Canso Causeway to keep COVID from spreading into Cape Breton is not a bad idea at all.  McDougall says she doesn’t have the power to do that, but she’s consulting with partners about the possibility of at least closing down the CBRM if it comes to that.

The Town of New Glasgow is partnering with “Fridays for Future” to create a local Climate Council.  They’ll be doing a COVID-friendly meeting next Monday at suppertime.  It takes place at 5:30 and you can find out how to get involved by e-mailing climate.action@NewGlasgow.ca

POSITIVE REACTION TO NEW BUSINESS RENT PROGRAM

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) says a new federal rent-relief program is a good idea, and will act as a lifeline for business operators as the pandemic drags on. Jordi Morgan is the group’s Vice-President, Atlantic Canada.  He says with the rise of the second wave of COVID-19, the new program is urgently needed and is a ‘vast improvement’ over the ideas put forward last spring.  The new Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy replaces the earlier rent support program that saw little pickup.  Critics say that’s because it relied on landlords to apply for help.