Restrictions eased in Nova Scotia
SYDNEY — Along with warmer weather in the province, comes more chances to enjoy outside.
On Friday, Premier Stephen Mcneil and Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia's chief medical officer of health, announced the easing of some public health restrictions around outdoor and recreational activities.
Mcneil said the past few weeks the province has experienced tremendous tragedy.
“I’m worried about all of you and how we are coping so we need to get out of our heads and out of our houses and get outside,” he said. “We need to feel that fresh air. A little freedom.”
Mcneil said it’s going to be a slow and steady opening, it’s important people continue to follow health directives and restrictions.
“It will be critical if we move to the next step of trying to bring our province back to some sort of normalcy.”
Strang said we are now at a place where they can start to loosen some restrictions, and these are the first steps in their recovery plan.
“It’s critical we take a measured approach,” he said. “We don’t want to rush into this and undo the progress and hard work by all Nova Scotians that we’ve been able to have in the last few weeks.”
Strang said everyone has faced challenges and this is important for our physical and mental health.
“It’s especially important as we deal with the stresses of COVID-19, the mass shooting and the crash of the Canadian Forces helicopter.”
However, Strang said it’s important we do this safely and a way that continues to follow public health directives including social distancing, social gatherings of five or less only when essential, and only essential shopping.
As of 3 p.m. Friday, some of the main adjustments include:
• Provincial and municipal parks reopen; beaches and playgrounds remain closed.
• Trails are allowed to open
• People are allowed to use and visit community gardens.
• Garden centres, nurseries and similar businesses can open.
• Sportfishing is permitted from shore or boat. Fishing derbies are not allowed.
• People can attend boating, yacht or sailing clubs for the purpose of preparing boats for use.
• Golf driving ranges can open, including at golf clubs, but the courses must remain closed
• People can use their cottages, restricted to one household unit at a time, travel directly to the cottage and back.
• Drive-in religious services will be allowed, as long as people stay in their cars parked two metres apart and there are no interactions between people in cars or between cars.
Full details on all adjustments can be found at https://novascotia.ca/ coronavirus/
Strang said the ability to open up other areas will depend on how these first steps go, if they are done safely.
Meanwhile, Mcneil said he has asked Minister of Health and Wellness Randy Delorey and deputy minister Kevin Orrell to begin conversations with their healthcare leaders around short stay or day surgery procedures as well as clinics.
“This will be the first step trying to understand how to open our health-care system up under new protocols.”