Nova Scotia reports single-day high with 96 COVID cases, Tuesday, April 27th

Nova Scotia is reporting 96 new cases of COVID-19 today, the highest number yet reported in the province. The new cases bring the total known active caseload to 419.
Ninety of the new cases are in the central zone, three are in the eastern zone, two are in the western zone and one is in the northern zone.

The record high Covid-19 infections in the province is prompting the closure of all schools in the Halifax area. Premier Iain Rankin told reporters the virus was “on the move” in Halifax. “We have community spread and we need to do all we can to slow it down,” he said during a briefing.  The premier said all schools in Halifax would close for the next two weeks beginning today (Tuesday). The decision also affects Conseil scolaire acadien provincial schools and schools in the Enfield, Elmsdale and Mount Uniacke areas. Rankin said a number of teachers and school staff have already been diagnosed with the virus or are self-isolating because of close contacts. He said health officials were also keeping a close eye on three schools in Cape Breton with reported cases of COVID-19. Nine more school-based cases were identified, including eight in the Halifax area and one in Sydney Mines, N.S. As of late afternoon Monday, 29 schools were already closed provincewide, including 25 in the Halifax area.

Before the announcement, the government was faced with conflicting advice. – The Nova Scotia Teachers’ Union questioned why the province hadn’t forced more schools to switch to remote learning. But a pediatric advisory committee stressed the importance of face-to-face, in-classroom learning. Dr. Andrew Lynk, chief of pediatrics at IWK Health, said schools have been shown to be areas of low to minimal disease transmission and do not amplify community spread.  Chief medical office of health Dr. Robert Strang said while he supports the advisory group’s stance, the increasing number of school cases in Halifax has put pressure on the school system’s ability to operate safely.  “It’s creating significant staffing pressures with many people off because they are waiting for a test result or if they are a contact of a known case,” Strang said.

Following a lockdown imposed last week for Halifax, Strang announced tighter restrictions for the rest of the province until at least May 20, including a gathering limit of 10 people, both indoors and outdoors (in Halifax the limit is five.) People are also asked to avoid travel outside of their communities unless it’s necessary for work, health care or legal requirements.

Other restrictions in place as of 8am today:

— restaurants and bars can operate at 50 per cent capacity, provide service until 11 p.m. and close for seated service by midnight

— organized clubs can operate at 50 per cent to host activities such as darts, cards, pool and bowling

— retail businesses and malls can operate at 50 per cent capacity and must follow other public health measures

— no social events, festivals, arts/cultural or sports events

— faith gatherings are limited to 25 per cent of indoor capacity to a maximum of 100 or 150 outdoors

— maximum of 10 people indoors or 25 people outdoors for sports practices and training but no games or tournaments

— arenas, pools, gyms and yoga studios can operate at 50 per cent capacity

— visitors, volunteers and designated care providers are allowed at long-term care facilities

Rankin said the restrictions are necessary because of the seriousness of the outbreak, noting that five people are in hospital including a person in their 20s who is in intensive care in Halifax.

Meanwhile, it was announced that people 55 and older could now book appointments for the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine at clinics across the province. Officials said appointments for the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine also remain open for people 55 to 64 years old.  COVID-19 vaccination appointments must be made online at https://www.novascotia.ca/vaccination or by phone at 1-833-797-7772.  Appointments cannot be booked directly through a community clinic, pharmacy or physician. Walk-ins will be turned away. (With files from the Canadian Press)

Nova Scotia Health Public Health is advising of potential exposure to COVID-19 at one location in the Northern Zone

Anyone who worked at or visited Starbucks on Robie Street, Truro on April 19th and 20th between 10 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., and between 8 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. on April 21st, should immediately book a COVID-19 test, regardless of whether or not they have any symptoms. Public Health says these people are not required to self-isolate while waiting for their test result unless they have COVID-19 symptoms.  All potential exposure notifications in the province are listed here: http://www.nshealth.ca/covid-exposures.

PC Leader Tim Houston says immediate proactive steps are needed to crush this wave of the pandemic, and is calling on the government to do more to keep Nova Scotians safe.

The MLA for Pictou East says he is ‘ready to volunteer’ at a pop-up testing site in Pictou County as soon as one is created.  Houston says that more pop-up testing sites are needed in rural areas, and that the province finally has to make testing upon arrival at our airports mandatory, and that it’s time to step up the vaccine rollout, including expanded hours.  Local MLAs Karla MacFarlane and Pat Dunn have made the same pledge, and are urging everyone to volunteer if pop up testing is brought to the community.

Truro Police Service received a call last Friday about a person from outside Nova Scotia failing to self isolate as required when arriving in the province.  A 55 year old man who recently travelled from Alberta was charged under the Health Protection Act and issued a ticket.

Given the situation in the province, the Maritime Junior Hockey League is postponing all hockey activities for its six Nova Scotia teams until further notice.  That included last night’s scheduled game for the Pictou County Weeks Crushers against the Valley Wildcats.

N.B. First Nation locates sunk crab fishing boat off Cheticamp, N.S.

A team from a New Brunswick First Nation will continue to look for a missing fisherman after his boat sank off the cost of Cape Breton, N.S., earlier this month, search co-ordinator Richard Levi said Monday. The team located the wreckage of the FV Tyhawk Sunday off Cheticamp under 70 metres of water, Levi, of the Elsipogtog First Nation, said in an interview. The First Nation-operated snow crab fishing boat had capsized on April 3 with five men aboard. Four fishermen were pulled from the water, but one of them was declared dead shortly after. The search continues for the boat’s captain, Craig Sock. Levi said they plan to look for Sock using side sonar scan technology near the wreckage of the boat. (The Canadian Press)