Nova Scotia reports 90 new cases of COVID-19, 180 recoveries on Tuesday
Nova Scotia reported 90 new cases of COVID-19 and 180 recoveries on Tuesday. There are 64 cases in Central Zone, 17 in Eastern Zone, seven in Northern Zone and two in Western Zone. Nova Scotia has 1,345 active cases of COVID-19. There are 103 people in hospital, including 25 in ICU. The median age of people hospitalized in the third wave is 56.5 for non-ICU, and 59 for people in ICU. Premier Iain Rankin and the Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Robert Strang, will provide an update today at 3 p.m.
Canada’s chief public health officer said Tuesday she expects Canadians who got the Oxford-AstraZeneca in the first round of vaccinations will be able to choose which vaccine they get for their second dose. Dr. Theresa Tam’s comments came hours after a small Spanish study on mixing and matching vaccines reported that giving a Pfizer-BioNTech shot for the second dose after AstraZeneca is safe and produced twice as many antibodies as a second dose of AstraZeneca. The National Advisory Committee on Immunization, known as NACI, is still awaiting further data from another mixing-and-matching study underway in the United Kingdom, but Tam said advice on second doses should be ready before most people are due to get their second vaccination. (The Canadian Press)
Mental Health Grants Announced for 28 Organizations Across N.S.
The provincial government is investing more than $850,000 of federal Safe Restart funding in mental health support for 28 organizations across the province. Health and Wellness Minister Zach Churchill says these are difficult times for many of us — that it’s okay to feel overwhelmed or anxious and it’s important that Nova Scotians know there are services there to support them.
Organizations receiving funding under this initiative are:
— Health Association of African Canadians, $200,000
— Canadian Mental Health Association – Nova Scotia Division, $80,000
— The Brain Injury Association of Nova Scotia, $25,000
— Autism Nova Scotia, $25,000
— Reachability, $25,000
— Caregivers Nova Scotia, $25,000
— Prescott Group, $25,000
— Inclusion Nova Scotia, $25,000
— Mawita’mk Society, $25,000
— Canadian Association of Community Living (Antigonish), $25,000
— Vison Loss Rehabilitation, $25,000
— Canadian Council of the Blind (Nova Scotia Chapters), $25,000
— New Dawn Enterprises, $25,000
— Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia, $50,000
— Antigonish Women’s Centre and Sexual Assault Services Association, $25,000
— La Fédération acadienne de la Nouvelle-Écosse, $25,000
— Elizabeth Fry, $15,000
— From the Ground Up, $10,000
— 7th Step, $10,000
— Nova Scotia Community Links, $25,000
— Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia, $25,000
— Eating Disorders Nova Scotia, $25,000
— Laing House, $25,000
— Youth Project, $25,000
— MacPhee Centre for Creative Learning, $25,000
— Healthy Minds Cooperative, $10,000
— The Public Good Society, $15,000
— Heartwood, $15,000
Truro Police issue several tickets this week
Truro Police have issued several tickets under the Health Protection Act already this week. A 25 year old Dartmouth man was charged with violating the travel restrictions and issued a ticket , while in a separate incident, two 22 year old Halifax men were charged for failing to follow travel restrictions, which comes with a fine for over $2400. A 21 year old man from the Truro area was also charged with failing to comply with public health regulations and issued a ticket for $2422. A Truro business, and one of its employees were also charged with failing to comply with public health regulations. The business owner was issued a ticket with a fine of $11,622 and the employee was fined $2422.
A court injunction that bans protests against public health orders in Nova Scotia should be modified or set aside, says the Canadian Civil Liberties Association. Cara Zwibel, the association’s director of fundamental freedoms, said Tuesday that the injunction is an indefinite ban on freedom of assembly and expression that is “unjustifiable.” Zwibel said her organization’s concern is that the court order issued Friday prohibits any and all protest activity during the province’s state of emergency — something that she says runs counter to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. She wrote Monday to Premier Iain Rankin and Justice Minister Randy Delorey asking for a discussion. The injunction was aimed at preventing illegal gatherings in defiance of public health orders introduced to slow the spread of COVID-19. It was primarily aimed at two anti-mask protests including one planned for Citadel Hill in Halifax last Saturday by a group called “Freedom Nova Scotia.” However, its reach extends to similar groups and also bans the promotion of similar gatherings on social media. The injunction ultimately led to police ticketing protesters on the weekend, including people who participated in a car rally in Halifax to support the Palestinian cause. (The Canadian Press)
In their virtual meeting this week, the Eastern Canadian Premiers and New England Governors discussed more than just the sharing of excess vaccines from the U-S, they also talked about the economy and climate change. The leaders issued a statement saying the pandemic has demonstrated that it’s more important than ever for jurisdictions to work together to strengthen economic and social ties. They also reaffirmed a commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 35 to 45 per cent below 1990 levels by 2030.
