Some Nova Scotians feeling anxious to open up to rest of Canada next week

HALIFAX -

With 60 active cases of COVID-19, many Nova Scotians say they feel comfortable as the province starts to open back up.

"I have a daughter who is looking forward to getting home the middle of next month from Toronto and with the vaccines going the way they are and everybody seems to have had their vaccines, I feel it's safe enough,” said Pam Newton.

"I'm looking forward to it being open because I have family in Ontario that I really want to visit,” said Sherryll Murphy.

Right now, people from Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador are able to travel to Nova Scotia without any restrictions.

But only those who are fully vaccinated are able to travel between New Brunswick and Nova Scotia without isolating. That restriction will change on June 30, when Nova Scotia will end the isolation requirement for New Brunswickers.

"If we did it today, it's too risky given that we still have work to do to get that vaccine coverage up,” said Dr. Robert Strang, chief medical officer of health for Nova Scotia.

June 30 is also when Nova Scotia will start welcoming visitors from other Canadian provinces and territories. Travellers from outside Atlantic Canada will need to complete a Nova Scotia safe check-in form and upload proof of vaccination and be prepared to show it, if asked by border officials.

They may also have to isolate, depending on their vaccination status.

• People who have had two doses of vaccine at least 14 days before arriving in Nova Scotia will not have to self-isolate, however testing is recommended.
• People who have had one dose of vaccine at least 14 days before arriving in Nova Scotia must self-isolate for at least seven days and cannot leave isolation until they get two negative tests results while in Nova Scotia; tests should be on day one or two and on day five or six.
• People who have not had any vaccine and those who had a first dose within 14 days of arrival must isolate for 14 days; testing at the beginning and end of their isolation continues to be recommended.

"We'll do that on the 30th and our next step will be to look at when would it be safe to remove those modified quarantine restrictions based on vaccination for people coming from other parts of the country,” said Strang.

The Hotel Association of Nova Scotia is happy to see a date in place for Nova Scotia to open up to the rest of the country and is looking forward to welcoming guests back.

"It's great first step. We are anxious to hear about what the thresholds will be in regards to opening to the rest of Canada in the same regulations as Atlantic Canada but you know, one step at a time,” said Megan Delaney, president of the association.

According to the Nova Scotia government, as of 11 a.m. on Friday, six people have been denied entry to Nova Scotia at the Amherst border. Two people from New Brunswick were denied for not having proper documentation and the other four were from Quebec, Ontario and Alberta.