Restrictions on the New Brunswick border will be reinstated Thursday, April 15, at 8 a.m., Premier Iain Rankin and Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia’s chief medical officer of health, announced today, April 13.
“We are seeing the increased cases in New Brunswick and we are also seeing the presence of variants in the Saint John area. Out of an abundance of caution, we have decided to reinstate our border restrictions to help prevent the spread of COVID-19,” said Premier Rankin. “As I have said before, we follow the science and public health guidance. When we see changes, we act. This is a reminder of how quickly the situation can change with this virus. We ask Nova Scotians to remain vigilant with all the public health measures.”
People coming from New Brunswick will have to self-isolate upon arrival in Nova Scotia and complete the Nova Scotia Safe Check-in form. There are protocols people should follow for certain situations:
— people traveling for work, school, child care or quick, necessary tasks that cannot be done virtually can follow the Nova Scotia-New Brunswick travel protocol
— people traveling for child custody reasons must follow the child custody protocol
— people who are exempt from self-isolation must follow the exempt traveler protocol
These protocols are being updated online to reflect the New Brunswick border restriction.
Anyone isolating in Nova Scotia after travel within Canada should get tested at the beginning and end of their isolation. Anyone who is not required to isolate should get tested three times in their first 14 days home in Nova Scotia.
“People should only travel to and from New Brunswick if absolutely necessary,” said Dr. Strang. “If you must travel, follow the protocols and other requirements in place to reduce the risk of spreading the virus.”
People coming from Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador do not have to self-isolate or complete the Nova Scotia Safe Check-in form.
A brief but wide spread power outage earlier this morning affected over 11,000 customers in Pictou County. NS Power says the outage was caused when a piece of equipment failed. Crews responded quickly and power was restored within about a half hour.
3 PEOPLE FACING CHARGES AFTER DRUG BUST IN STELLARTON
Three people are facing charges after a drug bust by the Pictou County Integrated Street Crime Enforcement Unit. Last Wednesday, with help from Stellarton and Westville Police, they searched a home on Bridge Avenue in Stellarton and seized a quantity of cocaine, methamphetamine, psilocybin and prescription pills. Police also seized a loaded firearm from within the home. A 26 year old man and 20 year old woman are facing drug and firearms charges, while a 59 year old man is facing drug possession charges.
PICTOU COUNTY WOMAN FINED FOR SMOKING IN VEHICLE WHILE YOUNG PERSON WAS PRESENT
On Monday afternoon, New Glasgow Regional Police spotted a driver smoking in a vehicle on East River Road while a young person under the age of 19 was in the vehicle. That’s illegal under the Nova Scotia Smoke-Free Places Act. The 32-year-old Pictou County woman has been charged under the Smoke Free Places Act, which means a fine of just over $400.
N.S. SPCA ASKS FOR HELP FOLLOWING SURRENDER OF 77 DOGS AND PUPPIES
Photo courtesy of Nova Scotia SPCA Facebook
The Nova Scotia SPCA is asking for help following the surrender of 77 dogs and puppies from a property in Cape Breton. The large number of dogs has overwhelmed SPCA resources and animal shelters throughout the province. The SPCA says rehabilitation and medical treatment is estimated to exceed $70,000. They are inviting animal-lovers who want to help to make a donation at www.novascotiaspca.ca/helpnow or by texting “SPCA” to the number 4-10-10 to donate $20. The SPCA says the dogs and puppies require extensive rehabilitation and are not entertaining adoption interest or visitors at this time. Once they are ready to continue their rehabilitation plans in a home setting, they will be posted on the SPCA adoption website.
Town of New Glasgow launches phase 2 of the 2021-2025 Integrated Development Plan
The Town of New Glasgow is launching phase 2 of the 2021-2025 Integrated Development Plan. It’s an Online Engagement Platform to collect ideas and feedback from residents, workers and business owners. This is a process the Town of New Glasgow goes through every four years, to review strategic priorities and initiatives for the community. The Online Engagement Platform can be accessed through the town’s website through the month of April.
CANADIAN RED CROSS HELPING FAMILY AFTER FIRE AT PAQTNKEK FIRST NATION
Eight people have been displaced by an overnight fire on Monday that destroyed a house at Paqtnkek First Nation, about 20 kilometres east of Antigonish. Canadian Red Cross volunteers have assisted the entire household including adults and children as young as a two-month-old with emergency lodging and meals, clothing purchases and other essentials. There were no injuries from the fire on Petow Loop, reported around 3 a.m. Monday.
Nova Scotia to hold two minutes of silence to honour mass shooting victims
Photo by Global News
Nova Scotia’s premier is inviting people in the province to participate in two minutes of silence this Sunday for those lost in last year’s mass shooting. Iain Rankin says he will be attending a closed gathering on Sunday afternoon in Truro that will begin with a moment of silence at 3 p.m. local time. The province says it wants citizens to unite in honouring and remembering the 23 Nova Scotians who were killed on April 18-19, 2020. The event being organized by the non-profit Nova Scotia Remembers Legacy Society is going to be livestreamed on the group’s Facebook page.
Flags at the legislature will be lowered to half-mast from sunrise on Saturday to sunset on Sunday, and the building will be lit in blue. A lone piper will play on the grounds of the legislature as the flags are lowered, and flags at all provincial government buildings and institutions will also be at half-mast. Businesses and community organizations that fly flags are being encouraged by the province to lower them to half-mast for April 18-19. The province is suggesting citizens lower their flags to half-mast and consider putting a Nova Scotia flag in their windows as a way of remembering the tragedy.
7 NEW CASES OF COVID-19 REPORTED IN PROVINCE ON MONDAY
Nova Scotia reported seven new cases of COVID-19, all in the Central Zone on Monday. Five of the cases are related to travel outside Atlantic Canada and the other two are close contacts of previously reported cases. Premier Iain Rankin and Dr. Robert Strang will hold a briefing today beginning at 11:45 a.m.
More Canadians than ever say they intend to get vaccinated against COVID-19, a new poll suggests while fear about vaccine safety is the main driver of hesitancy to get an injection. All this comes as confidence in governments is plummeting in provinces being hit hardest by the third wave of the pandemic. At least eight in 10 people surveyed last weekend by Leger and the Association for Canadian Studies said they absolutely intend to roll up their sleeve for a vaccine. The number has been steadily rising for months as vaccines have been rolling out in Canada and around the world, starting at 63 per cent in mid-October, rising to 70 per cent in early February, and 73 per cent in early March. (The Canadian Press)
AIR CANADA REFUNDS EN ROUTE AFTER $5.9B DEAL FOR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AID
Canadians are awaiting details on Air Canada’s plans for ticket refunds after the airline reached a deal for $5.9B in federal aid. As part of the package Air Canada has agreed to refund passengers whose flights were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, cap executive compensation at $1 million and restore service to regional airports. Some $1.4 billion of the government loans is earmarked to help reimburse the thousands of customers who paid for tickets but remained in the lurch at the end of 2020. The airline reported it held $2.3 billion in advance ticket sales during the fourth quarter of 2020 while thousands of would-be passengers who had already paid for tickets remained in the lurch. The company posted a staggering $1.16-billion loss in the fourth quarter of last year, a result that caps off what the carrier’s CEO called the bleakest year in aviation history. Air Canada has committed to resuming service at 13 regional airports as well as seven others through agreements with regional carriers. (The Canadian Press)
The Nova Scotia government and the federal government have created a $7 million outdoor learning fund for all public elementary schools in the province. Derek Mombourquette, Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development made the announcement earlier today and says the fund will allow schools to enhance existing outdoor learning spaces or create new ones. He says the fund will ensure these benefits remain in place for Nova Scotia’s students once the pandemic is over.
New or enhanced projects may include one or more of the following elements:
— school garden
— outdoor seating area using nature-based elements, such as rocks or tree stumps
— covering/shelter from elements (tents, shade-providing structure)
— outdoor performance area
Schools will be asked to ensure that the spaces are aligned with curriculum and opportunities for physical activity, and include elements connected to priorities such as biodiversity, inclusive education, African Nova Scotian heritage and treaty education to promote reconciliation.
The deadline for projects to be completed is Dec. 31, 2021.
