Provincial State of Emergency declared

On 22 March, the Province of Nova Scotia declared a state of emergency to help contain the spread of COVID-19. The state of emergency will be in effect for 14 days and may be renewed. The emergency order is valid until noon on 5 April 2020.

• Declaration of Provincial State of Emergency (PDF 42Kb)
• Direction of the Minister under a Declared State of Emergency (PDF 32Kb)

Nova Scotians should not leave the province and only leave home for essential items and services. Under the state of emergency:

• Nova Scotia borders will tighten to travellers and all entry points (land, sea, air) will be closely managed. Anyone entering the province will be stopped, questioned, and told to self-isolate for 14 days. Exemptions for cross-border travel include healthy workers in trades and transportations sectors who move goods and people (e.g. truck drivers); healthy people going to work (e.g. health-care workers); and people travelling into the province for essential health services (e.g. chemotherapy treatment).
• Provincial parks, beaches, and tourist attractions are closed. Provincial trails will remain open for exercise. Gathering limits and social distancing guidelines must be followed.
• Police are authorized to enforce orders under the Health Protection Act. If Nova Scotians and businesses do not practice social distancing and self-isolation, they will face fines of $1,000 for individuals and $7,500 for businesses. Multiple fines can be given each day an individual or business fails to comply. Police can also enforce offences under the Emergency Management Act. For example, fines for charging higher than fair market prices for goods and services.
• There are several groups who are essential and exempt from gathering limits. They include but are not limited to grocery stores, gas stations, and pharmacies. If possible, one person per family should be designated to do these tasks. Other groups include construction sites, health-care services, community services (e.g. child protection) and criminal justice services, and law enforcement.

Potential COVID-19 exposure

Nova Scotia Health Authority Public Health is advising of a potential low-risk public exposure to COVID-19 at two Halifax locations between Thursday, 5 March and Saturday, 7 March. Read more on the NSHA website.

Press Release: Nova Scotia Government (March 28th, 2020 @ 16:45)

All health care practitioners have received directives regarding the provision of health care during the COVID-19 outbreak. Please refer to previous messaging for details.

Practitioners should reach out to their insurance liability provider if they have questions about coverage. 

Government of Canada Covid-19 Resources: https://canada.ca/coronavirus

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Press Release Details for March 28th @ 16:45

Included below is a news release recently issued by the province outlining the details of 20 new COVID-19 cases; most are travel-related or connected to earlier cases. At this point, public health cannot confirm community spread as several cases are still under investigation. As of today, March 28, Nova Scotia has 110 cases of COVID-19. The news release is also available in French at: https://novascotia.ca/news/release/?id=20200328003.

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NEWS RELEASE: COVID-19/HEALTH/WELLNESS--Twenty New Cases of COVID-19 in Nova Scotia

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As of today, March 28, Nova Scotia has 110 confirmed cases of COVID-19.

Twenty new cases were identified Friday, March 27. Most are connected to travel or a known case.

Public health is working to identify people who may have come in close contact with the confirmed cases. Those individuals who have been confirmed are being directed to self-isolate at home, away from the public, for 14 days. At this point, public health cannot confirm community spread as several cases are still under investigation.

The 110 individuals affected range in age from under ten to mid-70's. Three individuals are currently in hospital. Four individuals have recovered and their cases of COVID-19 are considered resolved. Cases have been identified in all parts of the province.

An employee at R.K. MacDonald Nursing Home in Antigonish has tested positive for COVID-19, while an employee at Lewis Hall, a private retirement living community in Dartmouth, has also tested positive.

All residents, their families and staff at both facilities have been notified. Public Health is continuing to investigate and is working closely with the facility administrators. While no residents or other staff are showing symptoms, some are now in self-isolation as a precautionary measure and close contacts are being tested. There are no cases of COVID-19 among residents of long-term care facilities in Nova Scotia.

"The weekend is here and we need to be more vigilant than ever. We can't let our guard down," said Premier Stephen McNeil. "Only go out if necessary and obey the physical distancing rules. And stay connected with your loved ones and neighbours. We will all get through this together."

It is imperative that anyone who has travelled outside Nova Scotia self-isolate for 14 days and for everyone to adhere to the five-person social gathering limit. As always, any Nova Scotian who develops symptoms of acute respiratory illness should limit their contact with others until they feel better. If they are concerned about COVID-19 they can go to https://811.novascotia.ca/ and use the online assessment tool. Anyone referred to an assessment site by 811 will be tested.

"Given the number of returning travellers, including snowbirds, and more testing being done, an increase in cases is expected," said Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia's chief medical officer of health. "We're three weeks into our response and I know this is hard for everyone. Please continue to be part of flattening the curve by following public health advice and direction."

If you have travelled outside of Nova Scotia or been in close contact with someone who has travelled and are experiencing fever or new cough you should complete the online questionnaire before calling 811. The online questionnaire can be found at: https://811.novascotia.ca/ .

Nova Scotians can find accurate, up-to-date information, handwashing posters and fact sheets at https://novascotia.ca/coronavirus .

Additional Quotes:

"The health and safety of our residents and staff are our top priority and with the increased risks of COVID-19 on our resident population, we have been taking measures to protect them. Once we were notified of a case within our staff, we reacted quickly to take the appropriate steps to further protect, test and monitor our residents and support several of our staff to self-isolate and protect themselves from the potential risk. We will continue to be diligent through these uncertain times."

-- Michelle Thompson, CEO, R.K. MacDonald Nursing Home

"While this has been an unsettling day for the residents, families and team members at Lewis Hall, we have been preparing our teams for this circumstance for some time. We took early and concrete steps to implement our pandemic plan, including strict employee screening measures, visitor restrictions, and reinforcing our infection prevention and control practices. Today, we moved quickly in collaboration with Public Health to notify residents, families and team members, and have taken additional appropriate precautions when interacting with residents."

-- Jason Shannon, President and COO, Shannex

Quick Facts:

• Testing numbers are updated daily at https://novascotia.ca/coronavirus
• Nova Scotia's Health Protection Act gives the chief medical officer of health the authority to give advice to protect public health and decrease risk to public health presented by communicable diseases such as COVID-19
• A state of emergency was declared under the Emergency Management Act on March 22 and remains in effect until noon, April 5
• Under the state of emergency government can control or prohibit assembly as well as travel to and from areas. It can also coordinate commerce activity and emergency responders
• A new virus like COVID-19 can cause fear. Nova Scotians are encouraged to support each other and use technology to stay connected

Additional Resources:

Government of Canada: https://canada.ca/coronavirus

Government of Canada toll-free information line: 1-833-784-4397

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).

We encourage you to share this information. We also ask for your support on social media by sharing accurate information from the Department of Health and Wellness and Nova Scotia Government social media channels. Follow them @nsheath and @nsgov on Twitter and https://www.facebook.com/NovaScotiaHealthAndWellness/ and https://www.facebook.com/nsgov/ on Facebook.

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