NORTH SYDNEY, N.S. -- Monday was the second day of mandatory COVID-19 testing at the Marine Atlantic ferry terminal in North Sydney.
It's for people arriving in Nova Scotia who don't have to self-isolate for 14 days when they get off the boat from Newfoundland and Labrador.
A good many of those are truckers.
Jean-Marc Picard is executive director of the Atlantic Provinces Trucking Association.
"We were blindsided by it somewhat," Picard said.
He says there should have been more consultation from the Nova Scotia government and that he's heard from truckers worried that bottlenecks of testing at the terminal could cause long delays.
"If they have to add an extra two hours in their day just to wait for a test, it impacts their entire week," Picard said. "It impacts their day. If they have to drop off a load, or they have a temperature-sensitive load."
Gordon MacDonald is a councillor in North Sydney. He says while he sympathizes with truckers' concerns, the new testing measures bring an added sense of safety in his community.
"Traffic is travelling through Newfoundland, straight through the province, and to other provinces as well, so I think it does give a sense of security for the residents here," MacDonald said.
Initially, testing was being done outside, but starting Monday, it was moved into a heated onsite shuttle.
If a person receives a positive test result, they have to follow the requirements in the jurisdiction where they are -- whether that's Nova Scotia, or another province or country.
Meanwhile, Nova Scotia is encouraging other ferry travellers to take advantage of the testing.
A spokesperson for Marine Atlantic tells CTV News there is no mandatory testing at the terminal in Newfoundland and Labrador.
