Premier Iain Rankin and Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia’s chief medical officer of health, announced today, May 19, that current public health restrictions will remain in place across Nova Scotia until at least the second week of June.
They also announced that public and private schools will continue at-home learning for the remainder of the school year.
“We are making progress with decreasing our case numbers, but that progress is slower than we would like,” said Premier Rankin. “In order to get back to more normal living this summer, I’m asking Nova Scotians to stick with our restrictions a little longer, get vaccinated as soon as you can and stay close to home. That includes limiting your activities for the long weekend.”
Provincial park campgrounds are currently closed. Private campgrounds can only be open for seasonal campers. No short-term camping is allowed at this time.
People can go to their cottage or seasonal campsite outside their community only if they are staying there for the season. They cannot go back and forth between these places and their primary residence.
“I encourage Nova Scotians to get outdoors and enjoy parks, trails and beaches within their own communities as the weather warms up,” said Dr. Strang. “We also welcome Nova Scotia residents coming home and are making their application process a bit easier.”
Permanent residents of Nova Scotia will no longer have to wait for approval when they apply to enter the province via the Nova Scotia Safe Check-in. They will receive an automatic conditional approval, but still must show proof of permanent residency at the border. This change will be made in the Nova Scotia Safe Check-in system overnight.
Rotational workers need to do the full application process for their first trip back to Nova Scotia since May 14. They will be asked for documentation showing they are a rotational worker and the name and location of their worksite. For each subsequent trip, they will get approval faster because they will have been already confirmed as rotational workers.
Additional Resources:
Nova Scotia Safe Check-in form: https://travel-declaration.novascotia.ca/en
COVID-19 self-assessment: https://covid-self-assessment.novascotia.ca/en
Nova Scotia coronavirus website: https://novascotia.ca/coronavirus/
Government of Canada: https://canada.ca/coronavirus
Government of Canada information line 1-833-784-4397 (toll-free)
The Mental Health Provincial Crisis Line is available 24/7 to anyone experiencing a mental health or addictions crisis, or someone concerned about them, by calling 1-888-429-8167 (toll-free)
Kids Help Phone is available 24/7 by calling 1-800-668-6868 (toll-free)
For help or information about domestic violence 24/7, call 1-855-225-0220 (toll-free)
Source: Release #notw