Nova Scotia's top doctor shuts door on mask mandate return
While encouraging Nova Scotians to wear masks, the province’s chief medical officer of health didn’t commit to a full-on mandate Thursday.
With influenza, RSV and COVID-19 teaming up to fill emergency rooms across Nova Scotia, Dr. Robert Strang’s message was clear.
“If you are sick with cold or flu symptoms, stay home if at all possible,” Strang says.
However, Strang says for those who can't stay home, masks are recommended.
“Public Health and Nova Scotia continue to encourage people to wear masks in crowded indoor spaces and we all need to respect people who choose to wear a mask."
That’s as far as he would go -- masking is recommended, not mandated.
“I think at this time, just urging people to wear masks, I think it’s OK,” says resident Meghan Warmerdam. “ I don’t know about a mandate, I still think that people should have the choice to wear a mask.“
That choice extends to the classroom. In a statement to CTV Atlantic, the president of the Nova Scotia Teachers Union says there’s deep concern with the high levels of respiratory illness in children.
“We expect public health to continue monitoring the situation and if it believes that mandatory masking needs to be reinstated in order to protect our most vulnerable Nova Scotia, we would certainly support that stance,” says Ryan Lutes, the president of the Nova Scotia Teachers Union.
The fact that Strang did not bring in a mask mandate during Thursday’s press conference came as a relief to the business community.
“The big concern with mandates is the sudden nature of the mandate, so we don’t need surprises as a business community,” says Patrick Sullivan, the president of the Halifax Chamber of Commerce.
For now, there’s no desire to bring them back. Nova Scotia officially dropped all mask mandates in July.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Will Biden's second state of the union mark a less protectionist approach to Canada?
A new poll suggests a majority of Canadians still see the United States as their country's closest ally, even in an age of isolationism and protectionist policies.
Thieves cut huge hole in Ottawa restaurant wall to get at jewelry store next door
An Ottawa restaurateur says he was shocked to find his restaurant broken into and even more surprised to discover a giant hole in the wall that led to the neighbouring jewelry store.
New details emerge ahead of Trudeau-premiers' health-care meeting
As preparations are underway for the anticipated health-care 'working meeting' between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Canada's premiers on Tuesday, new details are emerging about how the much-anticipated federal-provincial gathering will unfold.
Why wasn't the suspected Chinese spy balloon shot down over Canada?
Critics say the U.S. and Canada had ample time to shoot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon as it drifted across North America. The alleged surveillance device initially approached North America near Alaska's Aleutian Islands on Jan 28. According to officials, it crossed into Canadian airspace on Jan. 30, travelling above the Northwest Territories, Alberta and Saskatchewan before re-entering the U.S. on Jan 31.
Mendicino: foreign-agent registry would need equity lens, could be part of 'tool box'
Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino says a registry to track foreign agents operating in Canada can only be implemented in lockstep with diverse communities.
Quebec minister 'surprised' asylum seekers given free bus tickets from New York City
Quebec's immigration minister says she was 'surprised' to learn the City of New York is helping to provide free bus tickets to migrants heading north to claim asylum in Canada.
Vaccine intake higher among people who knew someone who died of COVID-19: U.S. survey
A U.S. survey found that people who had a personal connection to someone who became ill or died of COVID-19 were more likely to have received at least one shot of the vaccine compared to those who didn’t have any loved ones who had been impacted by the disease.
opinion
opinion | Don Martin: Alarms going off over health-care privatization? Such an out-of-touch waste of hot political air
The chances Trudeau's health-care summit with the premiers will end with the blueprint to realistic long-term improvements are only marginally better than believing China’s balloon was simply collecting atmospheric temperatures, Don Martin writes in an exclusive column for CTVNews.ca, 'But it’s clearly time the 50-year-old dream of medicare as a Canadian birthright stopped being such a nightmare for so many patients.'
City of Iqaluit announces partial water shutdown; boil water advisory in effect
The City of Iqaluit says water services have been restored after an emergency partial shutdown due to issues with the piped water system.
Toronto
-
European family moves to Toronto in long-term Airbnb. A 'loophole' got them an eviction notice midway
For a Switzerland professor contracted to work in Ontario for a year, Airbnb looked like the right option for a family of five.
-
Netflix begins password sharing crackdown in Canada. What you need to know
Netflix users who have been sharing their passwords with friends and family members who live hundreds – or even thousands – of kilometres away won’t be able to do so for much longer, as the streaming service announced its plans to end password sharing.
-
'Unacceptable conditions:' Protesters rally for more shelter supports ahead of Toronto council meeting
The high noon sun bounced off City Hall’s two towers, but the ground below was still iced over and cold. Nonetheless, dozens of Torontonians laid down on the frozen square Monday, dramatizing sleeping on the street.
Calgary
-
Smith joins premiers in Ottawa to talk to Trudeau about health care, just transition
Canada's premiers are in Ottawa to meet with the prime minister over access to more health care funding. But that's not all Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has on her mind.
-
'Buildings are broken': Calgary man in Turkiye describes disaster scene post-earthquake
Calgarians at home and abroad are reeling in the wake of a massive earthquake that struck a war-torn region near the border of Turkiye and Syria.
-
Alexis Lafreniere scores in OT to lift New York Rangers over Calgary Flames 5-4
Alexis Lafreniere scored 1:37 into overtime and Jaroslav Halak made 28 saves as the New York Rangers beat the Calgary Flames 5-4 on Monday night.
Montreal
-
Man killed, 2 police officers injured in fire south of Montreal
An elderly man is dead after a house fire in the small town of Saint-Philippe, about 30 kilometres south of Montreal. Roussillon police confirmed that the fire started around 8 p.m. in a home on Saint-Andre Road.
-
'I feel so bad': Montrealers reeling, sending help after deadly earthquake rocks Turkiye
As the search continues for survivors, people in Quebec's Turkish community are doing what they can to help.
-
Cree mother wonders how mining development in northern Quebec will affect food supply
Feeding a family of eight children, two parents, and two elders in such a remote community where grocery prices are among the highest in the country would be a major challenge if it were not for access to the land for hunting, fishing, trapping, and berry picking. A major lithium mine project may disrupt this.
Edmonton
-
Comedian chomps chili pepper at Edmonton public hearing while arguing climate change is 'not a huge issue'
A local comedian stirred up laughter, confusion and condemnation Monday morning when he ate a spicy prop at a public hearing in Edmonton City Hall as he ranted about how climate change is "not the end of the world."
-
Smith was on vacation as questions swirled about her office reportedly interfering in prosecutions
Alberta's premier was on a week-and-half-long holiday while the province erupted over reports that a member of her staff sent emails to Crown prosecutors in an attempt to interfere in COVID-19 blockade cases.
-
N.W.T to complete curriculum transition by 2028, a 'sad commentary' for Alberta
After using Alberta's education curriculum since the 1950s, the Northwest Territories has outlined the timeline it will use to pivot toward British Columbia's program of studies.
Northern Ontario
-
Northern Ont. woman turns heads at Grammy Awards
A 78-year-old woman from Sudbury, Ont., -- a Harry Styles superfan -- has become internet famous after announcing the 2023 Grammy Award for Album of the Year on Sunday night.
-
Two arrested in Kapuskasing accused of threatening pedestrian with a gun
Two men in their 30s from Kapuskasing have been arrested and face several firearms-related charges after allegedly threatening a pedestrian Sunday evening, police say.
-
Victim in Moosonee, Ont., injured in blow torch attack
A 33-year-old woman from Moosonee has been charged after someone was attacked with a blow torch Feb. 3.
London
-
London’s housing crisis demands 47,000 new homes — 40 per cent are approved but still unbuilt
An aggressive plan to address London, Ont.’s housing crisis has been unveiled by city hall, but meeting the construction targets will require doing things differently.
-
'She was making people happy wherever she was': Friends of crash victims rally for their families
A fatal two-car collision last week robbed the world of what friends describe as a 'shining light.' Friends of Chloe MacKenzie who died in the crash, and Jacob Cloney, who is still in hospital with serious injuries from the accident, have launched a fundraiser to support the families of the two teens.
-
Will Biden's second state of the union mark a less protectionist approach to Canada?
A new poll suggests a majority of Canadians still see the United States as their country's closest ally, even in an age of isolationism and protectionist policies.
Winnipeg
-
Link alleged between two Winnipeg homicides: police
The Winnipeg Police Service said it has linked two recent homicides in the city, with officers alleging the incidents were not random.
-
New Indigenous-led justice centre opens in Kenora
An Indigenous-led centre has opened in Kenora, connecting people to social services with an Indigenous approach.
-
'A step in the right direction': Manitoba premier optimistic heading into Trudeau health-care meeting
As Canada's 13 premiers get ready to sit down with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday to discuss a new health-care funding deal, Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson said she is hopeful a deal can be made.
Ottawa
-
Thieves cut huge hole in Ottawa restaurant wall to get at jewelry store next door
An Ottawa restaurateur says he was shocked to find his restaurant broken into and even more surprised to discover a giant hole in the wall that led to the neighbouring jewelry store.
-
EXCLUSIVE
EXCLUSIVE | Homeowners left with unfinished projects after Ottawa construction company suddenly closes
Homeowners and employees have been left reeling after an Orléans construction company suddenly closed its doors, walking away from half-built houses and projects worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
-
NEW THIS MORNING
NEW THIS MORNING | Stittsville family recounts barefoot escape from devastating fire
An Ottawa family fled a fire in their home Saturday barefoot and in their pyjamas, suffering frostbite in the bitter cold. They're now waiting for it to be safe to return and assess the damage.
Saskatoon
-
Syphilis cases up over 600 per cent in Sask. First Nations communities, says public health doc
Indigenous Services Canada’s top public health physician in Saskatchewan is sounding the alarm over growing rates of syphilis in First Nations communities in the province.
-
'A step backwards': Saskatoon greenhouse closure could harm green infrastructure strategy
The former director of planning with the city is mourning the loss of the city-operated greenhouse and what its absence could mean moving forward.
-
Connor Bedard is big business for the Western Hockey League
Connor Bedard has been taking the hockey world by storm, selling out multiple games on the Regina Pats Alberta road trip, but has the Western Hockey League (WHL) reckoned with his impact?
Vancouver
-
'A largely absent resource': Those who call on Vancouver's police-based mental health team hope funding boost will improve service
There’s so much demand for Vancouver’s mental health emergency teams that people can be left waiting days, and sometimes teams never make it to requests for service at all. It’s hoped a funding boost to hire more staff will increase capacity of the service.
-
Dog named Kujo likely to 'kill or injure,' B.C. court rules in euthanasia decision
A dog named Kujo will be euthanized after a B.C. judge determined the animal is "likely to kill or injure" if released from the pound.
-
B.C. premier keeping an 'open mind' on eve of historic health summit in Ottawa
For more than two years, Canada’s premiers have been asking for a meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to discuss a new healthcare funding model – and on Tuesday the group will finally get two hours of face time in Ottawa.
Regina
-
What a global recession in 2023 could mean for Sask.
Talks of a global recession in 2023 remain relatively strong as the calendar reaches the second month of the year.
-
Public auction of Sask. liquor store licenses begins
A public auction of Saskatchewan liquor store licenses began on Monday. The government is closing its 34 remaining SLGA locations with licenses going to the highest bidder.
-
Regina baby who died in 2017 had bruising on head, expert testifies
Emotions ran high on the first day of trial for a man who allegedly caused the death of his infant son.
Vancouver Island
-
Pilots safe after B.C. air tanker crashes in Australia
Two pilots are safe after a large air tanker owned by a Vancouver Island company crashed while battling wildfires in western Australia on Monday.
-
Man charged with attempted murder after shooting in Nanaimo, B.C.
A Vancouver Island man has been charged with attempted murder and discharging a firearm with the intent to wound after a shooting in Nanaimo, B.C., on Sunday.
-
2 B.C. cities have the longest average wait times for walk-in clinics in Canada
The average wait time for walk-in clinics in British Columbia is more than double the national average, according to online clinic tracker Medimap.