Visitor restrictions to be eased in long-term care facilities on July 22

Nova Scotia has announced further easing of visitor restrictions for long-term care facilities as the number of active COVID-19 cases remains low in the province.

Premier Stephen McNeil and Dr. Robert Strang, the province's chief medical officer of health, made the announcement in a news briefing Friday.

"We know that this isolation has had a toll on the mental and social wellbeing of residents and their families," Strang said.

"In June, restrictions were eased to allow for outdoor visits and with new cases remaining very low, we're comfortable that we can now open visitation more and bring some more normalcy back into the lives of the residents and their families."

In early June, the province started allowing visitors to return to long-term care facilities for outdoor appointments but physical distancing rules had to be maintained.

Strang said residents of long-term care homes will be allowed to have up to five visitors during scheduled outdoor appointments as of July 22.

"Visitors will need to keep physical distancing or wear a mask," Strang said. "So if they want to go in for a hug or put a hand on the shoulder, they can do that, but they need to wear a mask."

Residents in long-term care homes will also be allowed to have one visitor in their room at a time, as long as the visitor wears a face mask. Strang said residents may designate up to three indoor visitors.

He also reminded people not to visit long-term care homes if they're not feeling well, even if they have an appointment booked. 

All visits must continue to be scheduled through the care homes.

Glen Haven Manor in New Glasgow is already prepared for more visitations.

The manor has rearranged furniture in the main lounge to accommodate 30-minute indoor visits.

"This is yet another milestone day in these times of a global pandemic," CEO Lisa Smith said in a news release Friday. "Having visitors come inside after more than four months is a big step. This has been a difficult time for everyone, and our residents and their families continue to uplift us with their strength, resilience and grace."

Strang said facilities can also resume some social, dining and recreation activities among residents as long it's in consistent groups not exceeding 10. Off-site trips will also resume for residents in groups of 10 or fewer, including staff and the bus driver.

Hair salons within licensed care homes may also reopen on July 22 but they must follow the guidelines of the Cosmetology Association of Nova Scotia. A record of visitors must also be kept.

"Each facility will decide which of these changes they can implement based on their own operational consideration and the availability of appropriate space and staffing, et cetera," Strang said.

"We ask for families to be patient, to work with [the] facilities that they have loved ones living in and give those facilities time to make the necessary arrangements."

There are currently no cases of COVID-19 in long-term care facilities in Nova Scotia.

Masks to be mandatory on public transit

Strang also announced that face masks will be mandatory on public transit starting on July 24.

"We certainly are learning that the public wearing non-medical masks is an effective tool in preventing the spread of COVID-19," Strang said.

Drivers and passengers must wear a non-medical mask while on municipal transit buses and ferries, school buses, community transit vehicles and private taxis and shuttles.

Children under the age of two and people with a valid medical reason for not wearing a mask will be exempt from the policy.

Strang said the mask policy on public transit won't be policed.

"This is about doing the right thing, about caring for each other ... we have to work together to deal with COVID," he said.

"We have to work together to keep each other safe, so for heaven's sake, it's not too much to ask people to wear a mask in places when they're around other people, for a short period of time."

A spokesperson with Halifax Transit said the service is reviewing the new protocols and it will communicate its updated policy next week.

Strang said he still strongly recommends wearing a mask in spaces where physical distancing is difficult, and the province is looking at implementing a more extensive mask policy.

No new cases

There are no new cases of COVID-19 in Nova Scotia for the second consecutive day.

A Friday news release from the Department of Health said there are only two known active cases remaining.

The newest case was identified in the Central Region on Wednesday. The origins of that case remain under investigation, Strang said Friday.

The QEII Health Sciences Centre's microbiology lab completed 491 Nova Scotia tests on Thursday.

The province has reported 1,067 positive cases and 63 deaths.

Symptoms list

People with one or more of the following COVID-19 symptoms are asked to visit 811's website.

• Fever (i.e. chills, sweats).
• Cough or worsening of a previous cough.
• Sore throat.
• Headache.
• Shortness of breath.
• Muscle aches.
• Sneezing.
• Nasal congestion/runny nose.
• Hoarse voice.
• Diarrhea.
• Unusual fatigue.
• Loss of sense of smell or taste.
• Red, purple or bluish lesions on the feet, toes or fingers without clear cause.