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N.S. lifts most COVID-19 restrictions, including masks; state of emergency ends

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HALIFAX -

After nearly two years, Nova Scotia has ended its state of emergency and dropped most of its pandemic health restrictions.

As of Monday, Nova Scotians are no longer required to physically distance, gather in small groups, or wear masks in most indoor public spaces.

The province ended its state of emergency at 11:59 p.m. Sunday -- almost two years to the day after it was first declared on March 22, 2020.

"We didn't really know what we were facing two years ago,” said Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia's chief medical officer of health, during an interview on CTV Morning Live Monday.

“Certainly, I did know that pandemics have a length of time, often two to three years. So, I knew overall that we were in for a long period, but all the details, it was really hard to anticipate what we would face.”

Nova Scotia lifted most COVID-19 restrictions as of 12:01 a.m. Monday.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

  • There are no longer any gathering limits or capacity limits
  • Physical distancing is no longer required between people and groups
  • Masks are no longer required in most indoor public places, including restaurants, theatres and stores
  • Businesses and organizations across all sectors can resume full operations with no restrictions
  • Special events, including festivals, sports, performances, meetings, training and faith ceremonies can resume in full

While gathering and capacity limits are no longer in effect, the Nova Scotia government is still encouraging residents to keep their social groups small and consistent.

The province is also encouraging residents to continue distancing when possible, and to wear a mask in indoor public places or crowded outdoor places.

"The key message is, the pandemic is not over,” said Strang. “We're just at a phase where we can transition out of the more restrictive measures, but we still need people to have lots of caution."

While no longer mandated by the province, some businesses may still choose to require masking and distancing.

"Some people like it with the mask, some people like it without the mask. It feels good, you feel freedom," said Tarek Kostek, a business owner in the Halifax area.

Some Nova Scotians may also choose to wear a mask in certain settings, even if not required to do so.

The province’s top doctor is among them.

“I will wear a mask whenever I'm around other people. At my work, if I am out and about at indoor public places, making sure I am maintaining distance between people … absolutely,” said Strang.

"This is about all of us continuing to be careful over the next few weeks, and it's not so much about me, but it is about others around me that I'm also working to keep safe by the actions that I'm taking. And I think the vast majority of Nova Scotians understand that this is about continuing to do what we need to do to keep each other safe for the next few weeks."

MASKS REMAIN IN HIGH-RISK SETTINGS, SCHOOLS

While most restrictions have been lifted, there are some exceptions.

Masks are still required in health-care settings, long-term care homes, adult residential centres, and other high-risk settings, such as provincial jails.

On Friday, public health said masks will remain mandatory for two more weeks in public schools and on school buses, citing the advice of a panel of pediatric health experts at the IWK Health Centre. The experts noted that while COVID-19 cases are trending downwards, the actual number of cases and hospitalizations in the province remains high.

"Masks are important to help as we have lots of students coming back today,” Strang said Monday. “Continuing with masking over the next few weeks is going to be really important in slowing the spread of any virus within schools and to help protect both students and staff. Ultimately, this is about continuing with in-person learning for as many students as possible."

Masks first became mandatory in most indoor public places in Nova Scotia on July 31, 2020.

WHY LIFT RESTICTIONS NOW?

While the pandemic isn’t over, Strang says it is time to move away from mandated measures.

"Well, at some point, all of the restrictive measures have their own set of harms. Whether it's financial harms, economic harms, very substantial impacts on mental health," said Strang.

"So, it's always about finding a balance, and we have a strong layer of protection because so many Nova Scotians have gotten vaccinated. We still need more, especially younger adults with their booster dose."

Strang says the province was trending downward with its daily PCR case numbers, but the numbers have started to trend back up in the last two weeks. He says this isn’t surprising since Nova Scotia eased some restrictions two weeks ago.

"We expect that at least to continue at the levels it's at in the next two weeks as we reopen further,” said Strang.

"The most important thing is not so much about cases, it's about how much severe disease are we seeing, and we'll continue to watch that very carefully.”

COVID-19 CASE DATA, SYMPTOMS AND TESTING

The Nova Scotia government is reporting COVID-19 case data once a week. The last update was released on Friday. The next update is expected Thursday.

People with COVID-19 symptoms are still required to self-isolate, complete the online self-assessment, and book an appointment for testing.

People who are at increased risk for severe disease, live in congregate settings or are integral to keeping the health system running, are expected to book a PCR test.

All other Nova Scotians are urged to use rapid tests. People who test positive on a rapid test can book a PCR test to confirm the result.

People who test positive for COVID-19 are required to self-isolate for seven days from the date their symptoms first started, or from the date of their positive test if they don’t have any symptoms.

Nova Scotians are not required to notify contacts outside their household, but they are encouraged to do so.

Contacts of a positive case are not required to isolate as long as they have no symptoms and test negative for COVID-19, whether or not they live with the person who tested positive.

Nova Scotians are encouraged to keep rapid test kits at home. Rapid tests continue to be distributed through schools and are available at various locations in local communities.

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