The province is expanding criteria for people moving here, as well as commuters and people accessing services between our province and Prince Edward Island.
Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Robert Strang made the announcement at Friday’s COVID-19 briefing.
Dr. Strang says they’re trying to reduce confusion and ensure no one goes homeless.
“By clarifying this and broadening the criteria, people still have to apply,” he says. “But, we’ve removed, [for] most of the people, the need to then be stuck on the side of the road and then try to make an exception process.”
Dr. Strang says the new rules for people and families moving to the province are to have one of the following:
-a purchase and sale agreement for a property showing an offer has been accepted on or before May 1
-proof of ownership of property in the province and either a purchase and sale agreement for a property or notice of termination of their lease agreement in another province
-a minimum one-year lease signed on or before May 1
-a letter of acceptance for new job in our province, which cannot be done virtually or deferred, dated on or before May 7
He says, even with the new rules, people must apply through the Nova Scotia Safe Check-in and complete a full 14-day self-isolation.
Dr. Strang says you shouldn’t start your move without having your entry approved, and it will take a week to review applications.
He says they’re only looking at applications for people who plan to arrive before July 1 at this time, and anyone who plans to come later should wait until about a week before they start travelling.
At the same time, Dr. Strang says the Nova Scotia-New Brunswick travel protocol has been expanded to include Prince Edward Island.
He says that allows people to use the protocol to travel between our province and either of these two provinces for work, school, childcare or veterinary care, without needing to complete the Nova Scotia Safe Check-in or self-isolate when they come into our province.
Dr. Strang reported 84 new cases of COVID-19 and, after 197 recoveries, 1028 active infections.
There are 66 cases in Central Zone, 11 in Eastern Zone, six in Northern Zone and one in Western Zone.
He says two more people have died from the virus, both men in their 70s who died in hospital in Central Zone.
Dr. Strang says 84 people are in hospital, 21 of them in ICU.
