2 new cases of COVID-19 reported in Nova Scotia as new rules come into effect at midnight

Nova Scotia is reporting two new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday.

One of the cases is located in the northern zone and is related to travel outside of Atlantic Canada. That individual is self-isolating.

The second case of the virus is located in the central zone and the source remains under investigation.

There are now 41 active cases of COVID-19 in the province.

“It is encouraging to see low case numbers as we start a new phase of guidelines and restrictions tomorrow,” said Premier Stephen McNeil, in a press release.

“We can do our part to contain the virus by following these protocols that are designed to keep our social gatherings small and our communities safe.”

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New restrictions announced by McNeil and Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia’s chief medical officer of health are set to come into effect at midnight on Dec. 21.

The majority of them apply provincewide and will last over the holiday season in order to curb the spread of COVID-19.

These include an increase in the province’s gathering limits to 10 people indoors, including the people who live there.

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People can have a close social group of 10 without physical distancing while faith gatherings, funeral services and wedding ceremonies can now have a maximum of 150 people outdoors or 50 per cent of an indoor venue’s capacity, to a maximum of 100.

Fitness and sport and recreation facilities can open in all areas except the central zone, which includes the Halifax Regional Municipality and Hants County.

However, there are some rules that are specific to the central zone, including the closure of restaurants and licensed establishments for dine-in service until Jan. 10.

A complete list of the changes coming into effect can be found on the province’s website.

The province completed 1,409 tests on Friday, moving the province’s total to 221,416.

There have been 1,447 cases of the coronavirus in the province since the pandemic began, of which 1,339 are now considered resolved.

Officials say there have been 65 coronavirus-related deaths in Nova Scotia.

No one is in hospital at this time.

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Nova Scotia recommends visiting the province’s website to do a self-assessment or call 811 if, in the past 48 hours, individuals have had or are currently experiencing:

• Fever
• Cough

Or two or more of the following symptoms:

• Sore throat
• Runny nose/nasal congestion
• Headache
• Shortness of breath

“Through the holiday season, we all need to make some sacrifices to prevent the virus from spreading,” said Strang. “Let’s show how much we care about each other and our communities by keeping our gatherings small and following all the public health measures.”