There was no change in gasoline prices overnight in Nova Scotia, but diesel prices did drop by 3.7 cents per litre. So, the minimum price for regular self-serve gas is 157.6 cents per litre locally, and diesel costs 161.1 cents per litre in our area.
Nova Scotia reported five new hospital admissions and six discharges on Thursday. There are 46 people in hospital who were admitted due to COVID-19. That includes 12 people in ICU. An additional 187 new lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 were reported yesterday. There are an estimated 1,903 active cases of COVID-19 in Nova Scotia.
Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston says discussions are under way to get public sector workers who refused to follow COVID-19 vaccination mandates back on the job. Houston made the announcement as all remaining COVID-19 restrictions in Nova Scotia are to be lifted on March 21st. He says no final decisions have been made, but believes COVID-19 vaccinations will still be required for those who work in the health field. Provincial officials say a total of 82 public servants from across all government departments are currently on administrative leave without pay.
The Opposition Liberals in Nova Scotia are raising questions about the provincial government’s decision to eliminate all COVID-19 restrictions by March 21st. The Opposition health critic issued a statement saying the move will leave Nova Scotians without critical information they have come to rely on over the past two years. In particular, the Liberals say COVID-19 reporting will shift from a daily to weekly schedule, and that will make it almost impossible to know what’s happening with the spread of the virus.
Ottawa has announced 27-million dollars in funding for Nova Scotia’s long-term care sector. The money is to assist homes with improving their infection control measures. It will be used to hire long-term care assistants to assist infection prevention and also to distribute protective equipment and supplies. The funding is part of the federal government’s Safe Long Term Care Fund agreement with the provinces.
The Municipality of Pictou County is meeting with the provincial government to discuss sidewalk construction in the Plymouth area. Municipality staff reported during a recent property services meeting that they’ve been in contact with Premier Tim Houston’s constituency office in Pictou East and expect to have a meeting in the future with the Nova Scotia Department of Public Works. The meeting will focus on whether the MOPC needs to include a new bridge in its Blue Acres sidewalk plans.
Last night at the Pictou County Wellness Centre, the Fredericton Red Wings beat the Crushers 11-3
