Nova Scotia to lift self-isolation requirement for Atlantic Canadians

Nova Scotia will lift some of its border restrictions and open to the rest of Atlantic Canada next week.

The province announced Tuesday that as of June 23, residents of New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador will be able to enter Nova Scotia without having to self-isolate for 14 days.

"For those who have family and friends in our neighbouring Atlantic provinces, we are thinking about you and want you to reunite with your loved ones as soon as possible," said Premier Iain Rankin in a briefing on Tuesday afternoon.

"For businesses here at home, we want you to be able to welcome tourists."

Rankin said low case numbers and hospitalizations, along with the increasing numbers of vaccinated residents, mean "reopening to our neighbours is the right step."

As of June 23, if someone from outside the Atlantic provinces completes 14 days of self-isolation in an Atlantic province, they will be permitted to travel to Nova Scotia without additional isolation.

Dr. Robert Strang, the chief medical officer of health, said in a news release if case numbers begin to rise, the province will take action.

Almost a bubble

Newfoundland and Labrador also announced Tuesday it plans to welcome residents of the other Atlantic provinces without testing or self-isolating requirements as of 12:01 a.m. June 23.

Prince Edward Island will allow people from Atlantic Canada with pre-approved travel and at least one dose of vaccine to enter the province without self-isolating on June 23, and unvaccinated travellers will be required to complete a shortened self-isolation.

But New Brunswick has stuck to its original reopening plan, refusing to lift the self-isolation requirement early to coincide with the other three Atlantic provinces' plans.

"We try to have as many conversations as we possibly can to ensure that we're as aligned as possible, but ultimately different provinces will make their own determination," Rankin said.

New Brunswick will reopen at 12 a.m. Wednesday to residents of Nova Scotia's Cumberland County without self-isolation or testing in Phase 1 of that province's reopening plan. People from the rest of Nova Scotia won't be allowed to enter New Brunswick without isolating until Phase 2, which is expected on or before July 1.

Strang noted that Cumberland County residents would still need to self-isolate at home upon returning to Nova Scotia until the June 23 opening date.

N.S. could open to Canada earlier than July 14

Rankin said he's been talking to his counterparts in the other Atlantic provinces daily over the past week to try to find a date that everyone felt comfortable with. He said it's possible New Brunswick will bump up its next phase of reopening so that it does align with the June 23, allowing for a full Atlantic bubble on that date.

The premier said he would ideally like to see all four provinces allow Atlantic regional travel for some time before opening up to the rest of Canada on the same date.

Nova Scotia is on track to open to the rest of Canada by July 14 at the latest, which Rankin said Tuesday could be bumped up to early July if the vaccination rates keep rising and if there's a system in place to validate proof of traveller vaccination status.

Rankin said work is underway on that system.

"Without knowing exactly when New Brunswick will open to Canada, we won't know how we'll determine our next steps. But we'll ensure that we keep Nova Scotians safe and we won't take any undue risks," Rankin said.