Nova Scotia announces COVID-19 reopening plan, first phase scheduled to begin June 2

N.S. unveils re-opening plan After a weeks-long lockdown to stop a third wave of COVID-19, Nova Scotia reveals plan to ease restrictions. Natasha Pace reports.

HALIFAX — Nova Scotia health officials announced the province's COVID-19 reopening plan on Friday, which involves a five-phase process.

“Our phased plan will allow us to safely enjoy summer with public health measures in place while we work at getting most of our population fully vaccinated,” said Premier Iain Rankin. “Then we should be able to further ease restrictions in the fall and ease in to a new normal of living with COVID-19.”

The province says each of the phases, which are expected to last between two to four weeks long, depends on COVID-19 activity in the province, public health and testing capacity, hospitalizations and vaccination rates.

Phase one of Nova Scotia's reopening plan is set to begin June 2. In this phase, the key changes to restrictions will include the reopening of some businesses, outdoor visits at long-term care facilities will be permitted, and outdoor gathering limits will increase.

"In subsequent phases, businesses will gradually increase capacity to the maximum capacity possible with public health measures, such as physical distancing, gathering limits will further increase, events and activities will be allowed with increasing numbers of attendees, and border restrictions will start easing," read the release.

According to Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia's chief medical officer of health, more than 50 per cent of Nova Scotians have received one or more doses of COVID-19 vaccine.

“In deciding exactly when to move to each new phase, we will consider case numbers, hospitalizations and use of health system resources as well as the percentage of Nova Scotians who’ve been vaccinated. The more people who get vaccinated, the more we can reopen our province,” said Strang.

As part of phase one, travel restrictions within most of the province will also be lifted, although public health is asking everyone to continue to avoid non-essential travel into and out of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality and into and out of the Halifax Regional Municipality, Hubbards, Milford, Lantz, Elmsdale, Enfield, Mount Uniacke, Ecum Secum and Trafalgar.

"A final decision will be made about travel for those areas of the province early next week, based on COVID-19 activity," wrote the province in a news release on Friday.

PHASE ONE

Other restrictions that are expected to ease effective 8 a.m. on June 2 when Nova Scotia enters phase one of their reopening plan include:

The province is reminding all Nova Scotians that do not follow the public health measures can be fined. The fine is now in the amount of $2,000.

A passenger testing program has also been started at the Halifax Stanfield International Airport to prepare for the easing of border restrictions through the summer and fall. Other border testing measures are being considered, according to public health.

PHASE TWO

Phase two is expected to take effect two to four weeks after phase one, as long as 60 per cent of Nova Scotians have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

PHASE THREE

Phase three in Nova Scotia's reopening plan is scheduled to take effect two to four weeks after Phase two, as long as 65 per cent of Nova Scotians have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

PHASE FOUR

Phase four will take effect two to four weeks after Phase three, as long as 75 per cent of Nova Scotians have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

PHASE FIVE

Phase five will take effect two to four weeks after Phase four, as long as 75 per cent of the population is fully vaccinated with two doses.

IN-PERSON CLASSES RESUME FOR SOME STUDENTS

In-person classes will also resume June 2, at all Nova Scotia public and private schools outside of the Halifax Regional Municipality and Sydney.

Also on June 2, licensed child-care centres and family day care homes across the province can return to 100 per cent capacity.

The reopening decisions are based on advice from public health and pediatricians at the IWK Health Centre.

At-home learning will continue for students in HRM and Sydney, but there will be some exceptions for students with highly complex needs. School officials will contact those families early next week with additional details about a June 2 start date.

Public health, in consultation with the province, will continue to assess in-person classes for other HRM and Sydney students.

“We know that in-person schooling is best for children, and thanks to Nova Scotians following the rules, we can safely reopen schools to many of our students,” Rankin said in a release.

“We want students in their classes with their peers, finishing the year strong.”

Families will receive more information from their schools or regional centres for education/Conseil scolaire acadien provincial later Friday.

All school gyms provincewide will remain closed to community use, but at schools that are open, teams will be allowed to practice inside the school but there will be no games.

At-home learning will continue for students at:

Halifax Regional Centre for Education:

Cape Breton-Victoria Regional Centre for Education:

Chignecto-Central Regional Centre for Education:

Conseil scolaire acadien provincial schools in HRM and Sydney:

CHILD CARE OPENS TO FULL CAPACITY

Families whose circumstances mean they are not ready to access their child-care space may continue to keep their child home and have their space held until June 30 without paying fees.

Families are encouraged to talk to their providers regarding the timing of re-enrolling their child in licensed child care.

As of July 1, families must pay their fees or withdraw from child care.

The province will continue to support the child-care sector with emergency funding as needed until June 30, including operational and staffing costs incurred as a result of a delayed return by some families.

The province will also continue to provide personal protective equipment to centres.