Top officials in Nova Scotia are set to unveil the province’s reopening plan later Friday, a day after Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick presented multi-step plans to lift COVID-19 restrictions.
Nova Scotia reported 33 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, continuing a downward trend in single-day cases.
The province, which opened vaccine bookings to everyone aged 12 and up on Thursday, introduced a “circuit-breaker” lockdown in late April. Initially set to last two weeks, the lockdown is now set to last until at least June 9.
Premier Iain Rankin and Dr. Robert Strang, the province’s chief medical officer of health, are expected to brief the public Friday afternoon.
Nova Scotia Premier Iain Rankin and Chief Medical Health Officer Dr. Robert Strang, seen here, are expected to discuss reopening plans at a briefing later Friday. (Communications Nova Scotia)
New Brunswick, which reported nine new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, is moving forward with a three-step reopening plan set to begin June 7 — if the province meets its targets around vaccination rates and case numbers.
Dr. Jennifer Russell, the province’s chief medical officer of health, said the pandemic isn’t over, but she said the reopening plan does offer hope.
“This is about giving everyone the strength to stay on course for a few more weeks,” she said.
Your guide to COVID reopenings: what you can do — and when — in each province
Prince Edward Island, which reported no new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, is proceeding with a five-step plan, which is tentatively set to begin on June 6. As with New Brunswick, the plan requires certain thresholds to be met around vaccination and case rates before proceeding to the next stage.
“Today is about being thankful for what we’ve been able to achieve together,” Dr. Heather Morrison, the province’s chief public health officer, said Thursday. “P.E.I. has the lowest rate of COVID-19 cases in Canada. We have been fortunate, but we’ve also worked very hard.”
Health officials in Newfoundland and Labrador, meanwhile, reported six new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday.