Mixed messaging as Nova Scotia prepares to enter Phase 5 in October
Nova Scotia is scheduled to move into Phase 5 of its recovery plan on October 4 if all goes according to plan.
At that time, the province is requiring mandatory vaccinations for anyone using non-essential services like restaurants, bars and gyms.
Gym owner Jackie Kellestine is concerned about a lack of communication between the province and the business community, making it unclear how the vaccine policy is to be handled moving forward.
"We pulled membership lists, pass holder lists, trying to see if we can integrate something into our scheduling software," says Kellestine, "reaching out to our staff, making sure they know to expect something."
“We know that there is a vaccine passport coming. We haven’t been told anything other than that, so the direction for me, I have nothing to tell my staff, I have nothing to tell me. I assume it’s going to be mandatory, that seems to be clear," Kellestine says.
Michael Chambers runs a surf and hobby shop. He says there is also a lack of continuity around the COVID-19 rules.
“Every time we turn around the rules seem to be different. When I go to different places I find that the rules don't apply the same as somewhere else," says Chambers.
Social distancing and masks will also no longer be required and that is a concern for some.
”As an infectious disease doctor I certainly have some challenges with the idea of masks going away on the 4th,” says Dr. Lisa Barrett.
Barrett says testing will continue to be an important weapon against COVID-19, even in Phase 5.
"Take home tests, especially in areas where there’s a virus circulating are definitely something we need to continue to consider as a key part of keeping community virus levels low," says Barrett.
Phase 5 was originally set to begin on Sept. 15 but was delayed because of the increasing numbers of COVID-19 cases in the province.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Legendary hockey broadcaster Bob Cole dies at 90: CBC
Bob Cole, a welcome voice for Canadian hockey fans for a half-century, has died at the age of 90. Cole died Wednesday night in St. John's, N.L., surrounded by his family, his daughter, Megan Cole, told the CBC.
Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction overturned by N.Y. appeals court
New York's highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction, reversing a landmark ruling of the #MeToo era in determining the trial judge improperly allowed women to testify about allegations against the ex-movie mogul that weren't part of the case.
2 teens charged in Halifax homicide: police
Two teenagers have been charged with second-degree murder in connection to an alleged homicide near the Halifax Shopping Centre earlier this week.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that is banned at Queen’s Park.
12-year-old hippo in Japan raised as a male discovered to be a female
When Gen-chan arrived at a zoo in Japan in 2017, no one questioned whether the then-five-year-old hippopotamus was a boy. Seven years later, zoo staff made a surprising discovery: Gen-chan, now 12, was female.
Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
'Deep ignorance': Calls for Manitoba trustee to resign sparked after comments about Indigenous people and reconciliation
A rural Manitoba school trustee is facing calls to resign over comments he made about Indigenous people and residential schools earlier this week.
CTE: Researchers believe widespread brain injury may contribute to veteran suicide rate
Researchers are working to better understand if some Canadian military veterans may be suffering from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, also known as CTE -- a disorder previously found in the brains of professional football and hockey players after their death.
1 arrested in northern Alberta during public shelter order
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.