The province is extending and enhancing public health restrictions on the third day in a row of record-breaking case numbers, and another death.
The Department of Health and Wellness reported 227 new cases of COVID-19 Thursday, a Central Zone woman in her 70s is the 70th person to die from the virus.
Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Robert Strang says there are also around 200 cases in the backlog that haven’t been reported yet.
“The fundamental message is for Nova Scotians to not focus so much on what the exact number is, that we have a lot of virus out there, and we have a lot of cases, and we’re in a very critical situation,” he says. “If anybody hasn’t woken up to the fact how serious the virus is, how serious our situation is, we need to wake up now.”
Dr. Strang says lockdown measures, including school closures, will remain in place until at least the end of May.
He says, starting 8 a.m. Saturday, each household will to designate one person as their shopper, the only one who can do essential shopping for the family, with exceptions for children and caregivers, stores will need to enforce the new rule.
Meantime, Dr. Strang say stores which offer essential goods are now being asked not to sell any nonessential items.
Essential items and services are:
-food
-pharmaceuticals, medicine, and medical devices
-hygiene and cleaning products
-baby and child products
-gas stations and garages
-computer and cellphone service
-electronic and office supplies
-hardware supplies and home appliances
-pet and animal supplies
-gardening supplies
-workplace safety supplies
-automobiles
-laundromats
Dr. Strang says everyone is encouraged to order online and use contactless delivery whenever possible, and to limit number of trips and time spent shopping as much as possible.
Additionally, he says new border measures will come into effect 8 a.m. Monday.
Dr. Strang says the provincial border will close to anyone intending to move here and to people from Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador.
He says there are no exceptions for funerals and limited exceptions to be with an immediate family member who is dying.
Dr. Strang says only the following people can enter:
-permanent residents returning to the province
-people who work outside the province
-post-secondary students returning home or entering to study; but not their parents
-people traveling for child custody arrangements
-people who are exempt from self-isolation under the exempt traveler protocol, such as long-haul truck drivers, airline crew, first responders, and people needing essential health services
-previously exempt daily commuters in border communities between New Brunswick and our province.
Dr. Strang says rotational workers returning home from outbreak zones must now follow a complete 14-day isolation in a completely separate space from the other people in their households, except to share a bathroom that is cleaned between uses.
He says they must get their mandatory COVID-19 testing, but no other medical appointments are allowed.
