Nova Scotia premier walks back New Brunswick travel restrictions
Nova Scotia's premier walked back plans to impose COVID-19-related measures on visitors entering the province from New Brunswick, saying they would be able to come and go without restrictions as of next week.
Iain Rankin announced the reversal on Thursday following a day-long protest that shut down the Trans Canada Highway after stricter measures were put in place Tuesday.
Rankin said he made the move after New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs provided more information about his province's border measures during a conference call the day before.
"So on June 30 New Brunswickers can come and go freely into Nova Scotia and Nova Scotians can do the same in that province," Rankin said at a Thursday afternoon pandemic briefing.
Rankin said the change wouldn't happen immediately because his province needs one more week to observe COVID-19 case numbers in New Brunswick and to boost second shot vaccination uptake for Nova Scotians aged 65 and older.
"I have full confidence we will get there," he said of the wider opening that includes travellers from the rest of Canada.
However, similar to the current restrictions, people from outside of the Atlantic region will have to complete a check-in form and will be subject to isolation requirements based on their vaccination status and test results.
People who are fully vaccinated at least 14 days before their arrival in Nova Scotia won't have to self-isolate, while those with one dose will have to quarantine for seven days and will need two negative test results during that time.
People who haven't had a shot will have to self-isolate for 14 days and will be subject to testing at the beginning and end of that period.
Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia's chief medical officer of health, defended the previous restrictions for New Brunswick, saying that province took a risk by reopening to the rest of the country last week.
Strang said despite having the same scientific evidence as Dr. Jennifer Russell, his counterpart in New Brunswick, they disagree on what level of risk is acceptable.
"We need to be solid with our borders while we build our own internal protection by having sufficient levels of uptake of the second dose of vaccine," he said.
Nova Scotia's reconsideration for New Brunswick travellers comes after the province announced Tuesday -- one day before its boundaries were to reopen to free travel from the rest of Atlantic Canada -- that travellers from New Brunswick would need to self-isolate upon arrival.
The announcement resulted in a protest that blocked traffic late Tuesday on the Trans Canada Highway near the Cobequid Pass. The blockade was later moved to the border area with New Brunswick outside of Amherst, N.S.
Cpl. Chris Marshall, spokesman for Nova Scotia RCMP, said three arrests were made shortly after 9 p.m. Wednesday following discussions between police and protesters that lasted several hours during the day.
Marshall said police were conscious of the need to balance people's right to protest against the fact that it is illegal to block the free flow of traffic on a highway.
"It became apparent after a number of hours . . . that dialogue alone wasn't going to work, so it was at that point that the decision was made to dismantle the blockade," he said.
Marshall said the three people arrested were later released and will face mischief charges.
Meanwhile, the protest resulted in a political casualty Thursday as provincial Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Houston announced that he was removing Elizabeth Smith-McCrossin from his party's caucus.
Smith-McCrossin, who represents the riding of Cumberland North, was also barred from running for the Tories in the future after she posted an angry video to Facebook late Tuesday.
The video warned that unless the border restrictions were changed, she would join with residents of her county who had "had enough" and would be "shutting down the TransCanada Highway."
"I appreciate her frustration and the frustration of everyone affected by the premier's 11th hour changes," Houston said in a statement. "But Ms. Smith-McCrossin's failure to accept accountability for her actions at the blockade shows a lack of judgment and personal responsibility."
Nova Scotia reported five new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday and now has 59 active infections, while New Brunswick reported two new diagnoses in the past 24 hours. The provincial active case count stands at 40.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 24, 2021.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW Toxic forever chemicals in drinking water: Is Canada doing enough?
As the United States sets its first national limits on toxic forever chemicals in drinking water, researchers say Canada is lagging when it comes to regulations.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
How to avoid the trap of becoming 'house poor'
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Arrest made, manslaughter charge pending in 2022 death of Calgary toddler
Calgary police have arrested a man and a charge is pending in connection with the death of a toddler in 2022.
When new leaders took over in ancient Maya, they didn't just bury the former royals. They burned their bodies in public
New archeological investigations in Guatemala reveal that the ancient Maya people had a ritual of burning royal human remains as a public display of political regime change.
Where did the gold go? Crime expert weighs in on unfolding Pearson airport heist investigation
Almost 7,000 bars of pure gold were stolen from Pearson International Airport exactly one year ago during an elaborate heist, but so far only a tiny fraction of that stolen loot has been found.
Some customers steaming after McDonald's ends free hot drink sticker program
It took years for Vinnie Deluca to collect more than 400 cards worth of free McDonald's McCafe coffee, a collection that now has "zero value" after the company discontinued the program.
Prince William returns to public duties after wife Kate's cancer revelation
Prince William will return to public duties on Thursday for the first time since his wife Kate revealed she was undergoing preventative chemotherapy for cancer.