Testing imposed for rotational workers
Rotational workers who are employed out of province but return home to Nova Scotia when they are not working will now be subject to mandatory COVID-19 testing.
“We are concerned about the high number of (COVID) cases in other provinces, particularly Alberta, where many Nova Scotians are working,” Premier Stephen Mcneil said Tuesday in making the testing announcement at the online COVID update.
“These are our rotational workers who split their time between two provinces,” Mcneil said. “A number of our cases are connected to rotational workers. Currently, when they come home, they are expected to get a test within the first day or two of arriving and then again within a week of being home.”
But the premier said not all workers are complying with that protocol and “that’s a problem because if they are asymptomatic and going out without a test, they could be unknowingly spreading the virus.”
Mcneil said the province had to make a tough decision but one that it believes is the right one.
“Effective Friday, it will be mandatory for all rotational workers to get tested (twice),” Mcneil said. “Audits will be done and if they do not get their first test, they will be called and reminded ... and if they do not get their second test, they will be fined $1,000.”
Dr. Robert Strang, the province’s chief medical officer of health, said that only about one in three rotational workers have been getting tested.
“We fully understand that the pandemic has been particularly hard on these rotational workers and their families but we also know that there have been cases among rotational workers and they continue to have a significant risk of importing the virus into Nova Scotia,” Strang said.
“Since Dec. 1, 21 of our overall cases, or 9.4 per cent, have been rotational workers.”
The mandatory testing affects rotational workers who are employed outside of Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador.
“They must get tested twice, once on day 1 or 2 when they get into the province and again on days 6, 7 or 8, and they have to complete their full 14 days of modified selfisolation even if they have negative test results,” Strang said. “That's because a negative result on one of these days is not definitive proof of having no infection. It is an important step in detecting infected rotational workers before others in their home become able to spread the virus when they themselves are out in the community.”
Strang said the province is not “blaming” or looking to single out rotational workers, who are earning a living for their families and contributing to the Nova Scotia economy.
“It's a necessity,” Strang said.
Strang said it is difficult to nail down how many workers rotate time between another province and a Nova Scotia home but he suggested it is in the several thousand range.
“By making the testing mandatory, we're trying to protect rotational workers, their families and their communities from the virus,” Strang said. “This testing is an added layer of protection for them and for us.”
Strang said rotational workers can book appointments by completing the online self-assessment but they should not go directly to popup or drop-in testing sites.
“They must be tested at primary assessment centres,” Strang said.
Strang said the protocol for rotational workers will be different from out-of-province university students because rotational workers continually move back and forth from Nova Scotia to their workplace while students usually arrive in the province and stay for several consecutive months.
Both Mcneil and Strang addressed the vaccine rollout in the province.
“Today, the first doses were given to our front-line workers in the western zone and yesterday front-line workers in Cape Breton Regional Hospital received their first doses and our vaccine rollout strategy branches out to our long-term care facilities as well,” Mcneil said.
The province is in the first phase of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout program. As of Saturday, 3,831 doses of the vaccine have been administered and 1,076 Nova Scotians have received their second dose.
Nova Scotia has received 13,450 doses of COVID-19 vaccine so far, with additional shipments scheduled to arrive weekly. The province is reserving half of every vaccine shipment to ensure second doses are available.
Strang said the immunization program has moved beyond Halifax and beyond hospital settings with the first non-hospital clinic set up Monday at Northwood's long-term care facility in Halifax.
“We all know how hard Northwood was hit in the first wave of the pandemic and I'm very happy that we were able to start vaccinating those residents and staff,” Strang said. “It's also the first time we administered the second vaccine, the Moderna vaccine. Later this week, we're expecting to receive two shipments of vaccine, 5,850 doses of the Pfizer vaccine and 3,700 doses of Moderna.”
Those vaccines will allow the immunization program to expand into the northern zone and to more long-term care facilities in the central zone, the Halifax area.
A number of people and groups are trying to get to the front of the line for vaccines but Strang said the federal guidelines for immunization are clear.
“I ask people to please be patient,” Strang said. “We know who is at the highest risk of getting COVID-19, getting severely ill or dying. Along with health-care workers, these are the people who will receive the vaccine first when we are able to move beyond our Phase 1.”
Nova Scotia reported one new COVID case Tuesday and now has 27 active cases.
The new case is in the central zone and is a close contact of a previously reported case.
Nova Scotia Health Authority's labs completed 2,408 Nova Scotia tests on Monday.
Since Oct. 1, Nova Scotia has completed 131,581 tests. There have been 445 positive COVID-19 cases and no deaths.
No one is currently in hospital and 418 cases are now considered resolved.