NEW COVID WARNINGS FROM DOCTOR STRANG AND PREMIER AS CASELOAD SPIKES HIGHER
UPDATED – 4:10 PM
Nova Scotia’s COVID caseload is getting noticeably worse. Eight new cases of COVID-19 are being reported across the province from the latest update.
Seven cases are in Central Zone. Four are close contacts of previous cases. The other three cases are being investigated to trace the source of each one.
One case is in Eastern Zone and is related to travel outside Atlantic Canada. Premier Rankin says Nova Scotians, with or without symptoms need to start getting tested often because it’s the key to knocking down the current outbreak, even if you don’t have symptoms
About 30,000 Nova Scotians have been vaccinated for COVID-19 so far, but Dr. Robert Strang says “We’re not out of the woods yet. We’re still in a pandemic, and now is not the time to give up. We’ve worked far too hard in the past year to let that go now. ”
Three new infections are being reported across the province in the latest update. And Doctor Robert Strang there are worrying clusters of COVID in the Annapolis Valley, so in addition to the assessment centre in Wolfville, more mobile testing van will be arriving in the Valley, in the area from Wolfville to Berwick in the days ahead.
The three confirmed new cases are all in Central Zone. One is a close contact of a previously reported case. The other two are being investigated, with the head-count now at 21 infections province-wide.
The latest exposure site list is found using our website link, http://nshealth.ca/covid-exposures
On top of this, Doctor Strang says we can’t get overconfident just because more COVID vaccines are arriving. He’s warning any Nova Scotian who isn’t keeping their social bubble to a constant group of ten people or less needs to start getting COVID testing on a regular basis. He says it’s as important now as it’s ever been, if we don’t want to end up with huge caseloads spiralling out of control like some of our larger provinces.
LISTENERS TELL US THEY’RE SUSPICIOUS OF THIS PHONE SCAM
Some of our listeners have been getting calls from a water treatment company, telling them they’ve completed a survey, and the caller is looking for more information. This is what comes up on peoples’ digital call readout list. It’s “Water Solutions 902 462 6581”
RE-OPENING ATLANTIC BUBBLE IS ONLY GOOD IF WE BEHAVE, SAYS PEI
PEI’s Chief Medical Health Officer is musing about the idea of re-opening the Atlantic Bubble by April. Dr. Heather Morrison says it’s likely to happen within 6 to 8 weeks, but only as long as COVID cases remain low in the other Atlantic Provinces. Here in Nova Scotia, Dr. Strang says it’s way to soon to project if and when the Atlantic Bubble can even be considered as a possibility.
NB GAS PRICES SPIKE AS NOVA SCOTIA GETS READY FOR HYBRID VEHICLE REBATES
New Brunswick gas prices are up by almost a nickel per litre this week. Diesel in that province is higher by more than 2 cents and gas prices have spiked by 4.6 cents. Price here in Nova Scotia are re-set tonight.
Speaking of the cost of driving, expect a spike in hybrid and electric vehicles and more work for green home contractors across the province. Premier Iain Rankin has announced that $19 million in rebates to support energy-efficient homes and help Nova Scotians buy clean, electric vehicles.
Half the money will be invested in a rebate program for new and used electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids and e-bikes. Rebates will be $3,000 per new vehicle and $2,000 for used vehicles, plus $500 for e-bikes. That’ll be on top of Ottawa’s rebate of $5,000 for brand-new electric vehicles.
Nova Scotia Tories are upset that the new Premier and his Health Minister aren’t taking him seriously when it comes to the shortage of ambulances. The party’s Colton Leblanc says he’s deeply disappointed that despite making a request to the Health Committee Chair Ben Jessome for an emergency meeting on ambulance service over a week ago, the Chair is turning a deaf ear. Leblanc says Premier Rankin and the rest of the governing Liberals continue to conceal the 2019 Fitch Report on potential improvements to the provincial EHS service. He says people continue to wait anxiously to hear those sirens, and often, it’s too long before paramedics arrive. If the new Premier wants to fix the problem – Leblanc says his government shouldn’t be afraid of examining these issues at the Health Committee, where the P-Cs have called for an emergency session.
