PROVINCE OF NOVA SCOTIA: Twenty New Cases of COVID-19 in Nova Scotia

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As of today, March 31, Nova Scotia has 147 confirmed cases of COVID-19.

Twenty new cases were identified Monday, March 30. Most cases are connected to travel or a known case. As reported yesterday, public health has concluded that one case is the result of transmission within the community. To date, four staff and two residents of long-term care facilities have tested positive for COVID-19. Appropriate infection prevention and control measures are in place for both residents and staff.

It is now more important than ever for Nova Scotians to strictly adhere to the public health orders and directives – practise good hygiene, maintain a physical distance of two metres or six feet from others, limit essential gatherings to no more than five people and stay at home as much as possible.

The individuals affected range in age from under ten to over 80. Four individuals are currently in hospital. Ten individuals have now recovered and their cases of COVID-19 are considered resolved. Cases have been identified in all parts of the province.

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.

Anyone who has travelled outside Nova Scotia must self-isolate for 14 days. 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.

To date, Nova Scotia has 5,763 negative test results and 147 confirmed cases.

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

Today’s update will be livestreamed at 3 p.m. on https://novascotia.ca/stayinformed/webcast , @nsgov Facebook and YouTube channels.

Municipality of the County of Inverness to Provide Food for Families

INVERNESS COUNTY, N.S. – The Municipality of the County of Inverness and Seaside Communications in cooperation with the Strait Area Centre for Education’s SchoolsPlus Program have teamed up to provide vulnerable residents with food resources.

“Right now, children are not able to access their regular school breakfast programs,” said Municipality of the County of Inverness CAO Keith MacDonald. “With the support of Seaside, Municipal staff have been able to fill and deliver food hampers to youth who are facing food insecurity during the pandemic.”

Through funds from Seaside Communications, staff from the Municipality and volunteers with the SchoolsPlus Program will distribute 130 food hampers to families throughout the county.

Schools participating in the SchoolsPlus program include:

• Whycocomagh Education Centre
• Cape Breton Highlands Education Centre in Terre Noire
• Inverness Education Centre
• Bayview Education Centre in Port Hood

Hampers are being delivered with the help of Strait Area Transit. The donation by Seaside Communications has also allowed additional food to be distributed to local food banks.

SchoolsPlus promotes use of school facilities by students, families, and the community. It provides a range of mental health services and other health programs together with mentoring, recreation programs, social work, homework support and justice services in schools where children, youth and families can easily access them.

Green For Life to Begin Solid Waste Collection

As of April 1st 2020, curbside solid waste and recycling collection in the Municipality of the County of Inverness will be performed by Green for Life Environmental (GFL).

Residents will not see a change in pickup schedule at this time with all routes being maintained by GFL. Any schedule changes that may occur in the future will be announced in advance.

Municipal staff completed a detailed review of the request for proposal that was submitted by GFL in the Spring of 2019 and GFL was subsequently awarded the contract by the Municipality. GFL is a North American leader in solid waste management and other environmental services. The company is known for their commitment to safety, customer service and cost-effective solutions. Along with their 8 regional offices in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, GFL has a bilingual community concerns line, will follow and enforce any Municipal by-laws, and has in-house maintenance capabilities.

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À partir du 1er avril 2020, la collecte des déchets solides et du recyclage dans la Municipalité du comté d’Inverness sera assurée par Green for Life Environmental (GFL).

Les résidents ne verront pas de changement dans l’horaire de collecte pour le moment, tous les itinéraires étant maintenus par GFL. Tout changement d’horaire qui pourrait survenir à l’avenir sera annoncé à l’avance.

Le personnel municipal a effectué un examen détaillé de la demande de proposition qui a été soumise par GFL au printemps 2019 et GFL s’est vu attribuer le contrat par la Municipalité par la suite. GFL est un leader nord-américain dans la gestion des déchets solides et d’autres services environnementaux. L’entreprise est connue pour son engagement en matière de sécurité, de service à la clientèle et de solutions rentables. Avec ses huit bureaux régionaux en Nouvelle-Écosse et au Nouveau-Brunswick, GFL dispose d’une ligne téléphonique bilingue pour les préoccupations de la communauté, suivra et appliquera tous les règlements municipaux et dispose de capacités de maintenance internes.

PROVINCE OF NOVA SCOTIA: Seventeen New Cases of COVID-19 in Nova Scotia

As of today, March 27, Nova Scotia has 90 confirmed cases of COVID-19.

Seventeen new cases were identified Thursday, March 26. Most are connected to travel or a known case. None of the new cases are connected to the St. Patrick’s Day gathering in Lake Echo, Halifax Regional Municipality. All attendees at the event are being contacted and are being tested. Case investigations are ongoing. At this point, public health cannot confirm a link to community spread.

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.

The 90 individuals affected range in age from under ten to mid-70’s. Two individuals are currently in hospital. Three individuals have recovered and their cases of COVID-19 are considered resolved. Cases have been identified in all parts of the province.

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.

To date, Nova Scotia has 3,649 negative test results and 90 confirmed cases.

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 .

Today’s update will be livestreamed at 3 p.m. on https://novascotia.ca/stayinformed/webcast , @nsgov Facebook and YouTube channels.

PROVINCE OF NOVA SCOTIA: Testing for COVID-19 Expands; Health System Preparations

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Premier Stephen McNeil, Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia’s chief medical officer of health, Dr. Brendan Carr, president and CEO of Nova Scotia Health Authority (NSHA) and Dr. Krista Jangaard, president and CEO of IWK Health Centre gave an update today, March 26, on the health system and efforts to help Nova Scotians dealing with COVID-19.

“Our health-care system is being examined from top to bottom to ensure we are ready for COVID-19,” said Premier McNeil. “Our hospital administrators, our doctors and nurses, cleaning staff – everyone is focused on containing the spread. But none of this matters if you don’t stay at home and avoid social gatherings.”

Dr. Strang said testing to confirm COVID-19 is being expanded to include:

• anyone referred by 811 to an assessment centre
• all close contacts of people who test positive
• people in hospital that meet the criteria for testing

An alternate phone line has been set up to ensure health-care workers are virus-free, able to safely provide care and not burden the 811 system. The service deals with NSHA and IWK staff, home-care and long-term care providers, pharmacists and health providers in First Nations communities.

“Over the next two weeks as travellers come home, we need to control and limit spread of this virus,” said Dr. Strang. “We can do this by strictly following public health measures – physical distancing and self-isolation.”

Other measures announced today include:

• reservations for the 2020 camping season are on hold; an announcement will made when they are available
• open fires are banned for any purpose in woods or within 305 metres of woods in any part of the province and will be in effect until May 15 (the public can report wildfires by calling 911 in an emergency or by calling 1-800-565-2224)

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

PROVINCE OF NOVA SCOTIA: Five New Cases of COVID-19 in Nova Scotia

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As of today, March 26, Nova Scotia has 73 confirmed cases of COVID-19.

Five new cases were identified Wednesday, March 25. Most are travel-related or connected to earlier cases. One of the new cases cannot currently be linked to travel or an earlier case. The investigation to determine the source of the exposure and whether any others may have been exposed is ongoing. At this point, public health cannot confirm that this case is linked to community spread.

That is why it is imperative that anyone who has travelled outside Nova Scotia to self-isolate for 14 days and for everyone to adhere to the five-person social gathering limit.

The 73 individuals affected range in age from under ten to mid-70’s. Two individuals are currently in hospital. Two individuals have recovered and their cases of COVID-19 are considered resolved. Cases have been identified in all parts of the province.

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.

To date, Nova Scotia has 3,201 negative test results and 73 confirmed cases.

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 .

Today’s update will be livestreamed at 3 p.m. on https://novascotia.ca/stayinformed/webcast , @nsgov Facebook and YouTube channels.

Open Fire Ban In Effect Until May 15 2020

Municipal Recycling Facility to Close Temporarily

In response to COVID-19 concerns and to help protect the health and safety of staff, the Municipality of the County of Inverness has temporarily closed the Strathlorne Recycling Facility. This temporary closure will be effective as of March 25, 2020 at 4:00pm through to April 1, 2020. An operational update on the Strathlorne Recycling Facility will be provided to the public before the end of the day on April 1, 2020.

There will therefore be no curbside recycling pickup (blue bags) on all routes starting on March 26 until April 1st.

Municipality of the County of Inverness Releases COVID-19 Information Packages

INVERNESS COUNTY, N.S. – The Municipality of the County of Inverness has developed a COVID-19 information package for residents as part of the Municipality’s overall Pandemic Response Plan.

“The handout sums up many important issues related to COVID-19,” said the Municipality’s CAO Keith MacDonald. “It will give our residents a resource to use if they have questions or need to contact someone at the local or provincial level about their particular situation.”

The package contains a variety of information related to the COVID-19 pandemic, including government contact information, best practices for hygiene and recommendations on caring for individuals who may have contracted the virus.

The information package is available at various grocery stores and services stations across the County, as well as on the Municipality’s dedicated COVID-19 webpage, which also provides additional news and resources related to the pandemic.

Residents and media are encouraged to contact CAO Keith MacDonald at 902-258-5999 for further information and clarification about the information packages.

PROVINCE OF NOVA SCOTIA: Strengthening Health System and New Measures

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Premier Stephen McNeil and Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia’s chief medical officer of health, announced further measures today, March 24, to strengthen the health system and help Nova Scotians dealing with COVID-19.

“Keeping Nova Scotians safe and healthy is our number one job. Everything we are doing, we are doing to keep you safe,” said Premier McNeil. “We all need to keep working together, support one another and make sure we are following the public health advice. That is the only way we can control the spread of this virus.”

Measures announced today include:

• increased testing for COVID-19 — public health officials have begun testing all close contacts of positive cases
• lab capacity is doubling to accommodate increased testing
• expanding virtual care for physicians, nurse practitioners and others so they can offer appointments to patients through telephone or video, minimizing the need to leave the house; more than 80 providers have signed up for video so far
• 811 has increased staff and technology and is now answering 50 per cent more calls; on April 3, 811 will again double its capacity
• enhanced infection control measures at hospitals to protect health-care workers and the public include reassigning and adding new staff to increase the frequency of cleaning and disinfection; focusing on high-risk areas and high-traffic areas and high-touch surfaces; using stronger cleaning products
• regulated health professions can only stay open for emergency or urgent cases or to provide virtual care (excluding doctors, pharmacists, nurse practitioners, nurses and paramedics) as long as they can meet social distancing requirements in their waiting room or other non-clinical areas and follow the cleaning protocol
• non-regulated health professions (such as naturopaths) must close. One exception is podiatrists who must follow the directive related to regulated health professions
• Access Centres and Registry of Motor Vehicle Offices will start to resume operations in a scaled back, limited contact business model. Staff working out of Access Centres and Registry of Motor Vehicle offices in Amherst, Bridgewater, Dartmouth, Kentville, Stellarton, Sydney and Yarmouth will be available to help people with urgent matters by calling 1-800-670-4357. In addition, government has extended deadlines for more vehicle permits, registrations and renewals until Aug.31. Drop-off boxes for applicable services will also be available at Access Centres in Amherst, Bridgewater, Dartmouth, Kentville, Stellarton, Sydney and Yarmouth. Many of the services are also available online.

Essential service sectors in Nova Scotia, which are exempt from the five-person-or-fewer gathering rules, have been clarified and are:

• health
• food, agri-food and fisheries
• transportation, including trucking, rail and transit
• construction and manufacturing
• IT, telecommunications and critical infrastructure
• public services, such as police, fire and ambulances

Individual business in these sectors must still maintain social distancing and other public health protocols.

“We need your help to prevent the spread of COVID-19,” said Dr. Strang. “It is critically important to wash your hands, practise social distancing and self-isolate if you need to. It’s also important to be truthful in your interactions with health-care workers and don’t call 911 unless you have an emergency. Working together we can protect our communities and our most vulnerable citizens.”

Ten new cases were identified Monday, March 23. The cases are travel-related or connected to earlier reported cases. Several of the new cases are connected to groups or families who have returned to Nova Scotia following travel outside of Canada. None of these cases are from spread within the community.

The 51 individuals affected range in age from under 10 to mid-70s. Cases have been identified in all parts of the province. One individual remains in hospital. One individual has recovered and their case of COVID-19 is considered resolved.

Public health has been in contact with these individuals and is working to identify others who may have come in close contact with them. Those individuals are also being directed to self-isolate at home, away from the public, for 14 days.

To date, Nova Scotia has 2,474 negative test results and 51 confirmed cases.

Anyone who has travelled outside of Nova Scotia must self-isolate for 14 days. 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 .