Nova Scotia reports three more COVID-19 deaths, extends restrictions to mid-February
Photo credit: Communications N.S.
Current restrictions to limit the spread of COVID-19 will remain in place in Nova Scotia until at least the middle of next month. In an update yesterday, chief medical officer of health Dr. Robert Strang Health said orders such as gathering limits and reduced capacities for bars and restaurants are needed because the province continues to report high numbers of COVID-19-related hospitalizations. “Both hospitals and long-term care facilities are under extreme stress and pressure,” Strang said. “They need more time before we can safely lift restrictions.” Since December, restrictions imposed by the government across the province include indoor and outdoor informal gathering limits of 10 people and capacity reductions to 50 per cent for bars and restaurants.
Meanwhile, health officials reported three more deaths related to COVID-19 on Wednesday and said 312 people were in hospital with the disease, including 15 patients in intensive care. The deaths included a woman and a man in their 80s in the Halifax area and a man in his 90s in the province’s eastern zone. Nova Scotia has recorded 30 deaths since Dec. 8, when the wave fuelled by the Omicron variant began. Strang said many of the hospital deaths over the past few weeks have involved older patients with “multiple chronic conditions.” Sounding a more optimistic note, Strang said lab data indicates the province is past the peak regarding COVID-19 cases. “But we know that there is a two-to-three-week lag and right now, we expect we are right in the middle of the peak for hospitalizations.” A total of 346 new lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 were reported Wednesday, while officials estimated there were 4,353 active infections in the province.
Premier Tim Houston said the uptake of COVID-19 boosters was another factor that would determine whether the government would lift restrictions in mid-February. Houston said there were encouraging signs for the vaccination program, which had an initial goal of administering 139,000 shots this month. “As of yesterday, we had 255,000 booster shots in arms in January alone, and we are on track to hit 296,000 boosters in arms by the end of the month,” he said. He added that when December’s booster shots are factored in, nearly 485,000 people will have had a third shot of vaccine by the end of January. Health officials say that because of that progress, community clinics across the province will close by the end of next week. The clinics were intended to be short-term and were opened with a focus on administering booster doses to reduce the impact of the Omicron wave. The clinics will close on the following dates: Today (January 27) – Amherst, Antigonish and Halifax, Friday (January 28) – Berwick, Digby, New Glasgow, Truro, Sydney and Yarmouth, and February 4 – Dartmouth. (With files from The Canadian Press)
A number of Nova Scotian truckers heading for Ottawa
Truckers prepare to depart on a cross-country convoy destined for Ottawa to protest a federal vaccine mandate for truckers, in Delta, B.C., on Sunday, January 23, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
A number of truckers from Nova Scotia will start to make their way today to Ottawa for the massive rally being held on Saturday by truckers from across the country to protest a vaccine mandate. That mandate is that they must be fully vaccinated when re-entering Canada from the U-S, or be quarantined. Many truckers from the province will meet up with truckers from across the region in Moncton today to join the national “freedom convoy” that’s headed for Ottawa. Police in Ottawa expect there could be as many as two-thousand demonstrators on Saturday. Ottawa’s police Chief says the convoy organizers have been co-operative so far in telling police about their plans. Ottawa police say that some people with extreme, far-right views have latched onto the protest and say officers will be on high alert.
Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston has a message for those truckers who may be planning to block the Nova Scotia – New Brunswick border roads on the weekend over vaccine requirements. He says: “Don’t do it. Just don’t do it.” There have been postings on social media calling on truckers opposed to vaccine requirements to gather on the Trans-Canada highway. Houston says that neither he nor other Atlantic Canadians have much patience for such activities.
Meanwhile, the RCMP is advising that it’s aware of a number of people who are planning to gather at the overpass at exit 8 on Hwy. 102 for a period of time this morning. Motorists in the area should be prepared for possible delays and should plan to use alternate routes using exits 7 or 8A. East Hants District RCMP will be in the area to promote public safety.
CRA sending letters to CERB recipients to confirm eligibility
The Canada Revenue Agency is sending out a new round of letters to emergency aid recipients to verify they were eligible for the help. It’s the second time the agency is mailing Canada Emergency Response Benefit recipients as part of a process to verify the eligibility of the millions of Canadians who received the $500-a-week benefit. The CRA sent out more than 441,000 letters to CERB recipients near the end of 2020 asking them to verify they met eligibility rules for the payments. Thousands more are going out starting today, this time targeting recipients who may have earned more than the $1,000 a month the Liberals allowed beginning in mid-April 2020. The agency says the people receiving letters have tax filings that suggest they earned too much income during periods when they received federal benefits. Marc Lemieux, the CRA’s assistant commissioner in charge of verifications, says the agency plans to be flexible with anyone who may have to repay some of the aid. (The Canadian Press)
Fuel prices up again in N.B.
Diesel has hit a new record high in New Brunswick – $1.652 per litre, an increase of 2 cents overnight. Gas is up 1.5 cents per litre to a $1.49. Nova Scotia sets its fuel prices at midnight tonight.
Nova Scotia kicks off African Heritage Month with virtual poster unveiling ceremony
Virtual celebrations began Wednesday for African Heritage Month with a provincial proclamation and poster unveiling ceremony. The provincial theme, Through Our Eyes: The Voices of African Nova Scotians, recognizes the legacies of people of African descent through first voice, lived realities, and experiences. Premier Tim Houston says learning from the past and acknowledging the present will help ensure a positive journey forward. The Town of New Glasgow will be holding an official launch and flag raising ceremony virtually, on Tuesday, February 1st at 11:45 AM, with the livestream on both the Facebook page and YouTube channel.
