No new cases, Tories call for Maritime bubble
While the Nova Scotia government announced the tenth straight day without a new case of COVID-19 on Friday, a PC MLA is calling for an immediate lifting of border restrictions.
Cumberland North MLA Elizabeth Smithmccrossin wants to see a Maritime bubble for immediately. “This has been the No. 1 issue for the constituents of Cumberland North since the state of emergency was declared on March 22,” Smithmccrossin said in a telephone interview.
“Our families, our businesses are completely interconnected with southern New Brunswick. Our trade economic zone is more with southern New Brunswick than the rest of Nova Scotia.”
She said many families in her region, located near the provincial border, share connections on both sides, sometimes even custody of children.
“The border restrictions have especially caused a lot of hardship with the constituents in Cumberland North,” she said.
“We have grandparents and parents that have not seen their children and grandchildren since February and in many situations, they live 10 minutes away, but they live in another province.”
The business community has been asking for a bubble since April 28, she said.
“We have not had any response. And as the restrictions continue, it's just continuing to cause more unnecessary hardship, both on families — and mental health of families – but also on our businesses.”
All travellers into Nova Scotia are required to self-isolate for two weeks as part of the province's pandemic response measures. A provincial state of emergency was declared on
March 22 and has been extended to June 28.
On Thursday, Nova Scotia Premier Stephen Mcneil said during a teleconference that an Atlantic bubble is under discussion but will not be implemented yet.
Smith-mccrossin said it's needed “today. It's really hard to explain how much hardship this is causing for people.”
She also wants to see a more regional approach to the pandemic in the future.
“I would like to see all three Maritime premiers, our governments, work together to have a Maritime approach. And although we didn't work together for the first wave, I want to see us work together for the second wave and acting like a family would act. In the Maritimes, we are all a family and our governments have not been behaving that way.”
The government news release announcing the latest round of test results also said that while two people are still in hospital — one in the ICU — one of those cases is now considered resolved, leaving just one active case in the province.
“We've achieved this because Nova Scotians have taken this virus seriously and followed public health protocols and advice,” Mcneil said in the release. “Please enjoy this beautiful weather and time with your friends and family responsibly. While we've been able to loosen restrictions, it is important that everyone remains vigilant.”
In a news release from the Nova Scotia PCS, party Leader Tim Houston said he wants the borders open soon to help tourism-focused small businesses.
“Now that the economy is open, the Premier should be actively working towards establishing a bubble with our neighbouring provinces, in an effort to promote tourism between provinces,” Houston said in the release. “Businesses across the province are hurting. It seems that only American ferry operators are guaranteed to make money this year.”
The QEII Health Sciences Centre's microbiology lab completed 543 tests on Thursday.
To date, Nova Scotia has 50,540 negative test results, 1,061 positive COVID-19 cases, and 62 deaths. Ninehundred and ninety-eight cases are now resolved.