Nova Scotia is moving to the third phase of its reopening plan on Wednesday, which will ease numerous restrictions and further open the province’s borders.
Premier Iain Rankin and Dr. Robert Strang, the chief medical officer of health, held a briefing Tuesday as the province reported a single new case of the virus.
“Tomorrow is an exciting day, opening up to the rest of Canada,” said Rankin.
“Let’s not let up. We need to continue to get vaccinated and continue to get tested and continue to follow the protocols.”
Under the third phase, the province will open its borders to New Brunswick without restrictions. It will also allow fully vaccinated travellers from the rest of Canada to enter the province without self-isolating.
Those from outside Atlantic Canada who are partially vaccinated or unvaccinated will be allowed to enter, but will have to self-isolate for seven or 14 days, respectively.
As well, the third stage would allow personal services, such as hair salons and spas, to open fully.
Stores would operate at 75 per cent capacity. Wedding ceremonies and funerals would be allowed at 50 per cent capacity up to 100 people indoors and 150 people outdoors.
Strang said while he is optimistic about the province’s low case numbers, the Delta variant “remains our biggest risk” and that vaccination is key. This is especially important, he said, as the province opens up to travellers and loosens restrictions.
“We certainly are taking on more risk opening up borders and removing restrictions and opening up to the rest of the country,” Strang said.
“(While it’s) absolutely the appropriate thing to do, we have to understand that we are taking on more risk.”
He said there are currently two clusters of cases — one in Central Zone involving families with close contacts, and a smaller cluster in Cape Breton involving a workplace.
In both cases, he said, “under-immunization” is a factor.
“Where we’re continuing to see COVID activity really take hold is where you have communities where there is a less than ideal uptake of vaccine,” he said.
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Strang stressed people should move their second dose vaccinations up earlier when they can, and to take the first appointment available since mixing the two mRNA vaccines is allowed.
He also said there is a push to encourage more people in their 20s to get vaccinated. The province opened a walk-in clinic at the Halifax Convention Centre on Tuesday for first doses, and there’s a move to bring vaccinations to certain workplaces.
There are currently 135,000 appointments booked this week and Tuesday marks a record day with more than 31,000 vaccinations taking place.
“We have worked hard throughout this pandemic,” Strang said.
“The last and final step in doing that, in doing what is necessary to keep each other safe, to care for each other is getting vaccinated.”
1 new case
The province reported just one new case of COVID-19 on Tuesday and seven new recoveries.
The case is in the Eastern Zone and is a close contact of a previously reported case.
The Department of Education and Childhood Development further reported that the case is connected to Glace Bay Elementary. The school will be closed on Wednesday and will undergo a deep cleaning.
Since the school year was scheduled to end Wednesday anyway, an update will be sent to staff, students and families on how to pick up belongings.
Public Health is reaching out to close contacts, however, “out of an abundance of caution,” they are recommending that all staff and students be tested for COVID-19.
Nova Scotia Health labs completed 2,399 tests on Monday. The province now has 51 active cases of COVID-19, including two people in hospital
As of Monday, 898,247 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered, including 193,200 second doses.
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