At today’s provincial COVID-19 briefing Premier Iain Rankin emphasized the need for more Nova Scotians to move their appointments for second doses up.
The Premier expressed concern that many Nova Scotians might be waiting for doses of the Pfizer vaccine to arrive. He said, “We don’t have a large shipment of Pfizer on the way and what we receive must be reserved for youth aged 12 to 17,”.
The Premier went on to say that Moderna doses are readily available across the province and anyone eligible to move their appointment up should do as soon as possible.
Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Robert Strang also emphasized the need for more people to rebook their second appointments.
“We continue to encourage everyone to get two doses of vaccine as soon as possible. That is the key to continuing our reopening and getting to a stage where restrictions can end,” said Dr. Strang. “Until then, we need to continue protecting each other by following these public health measures and getting tested regularly.”
Dr. Strang said the province has seen a major improvement in vaccination rates amongst people aged 25 to 30 which was the age group that had the lowest rates when figures were last released.
Assuming there are no major setbacks the Premier also confirmed Nova Scotia plans to move into Phase Four of reopening this Wednesday.
Phase Four will see restrictions loosened on things like gathering limits, businesses, recreation, events, arts, and continuing care. You can find out more about the specifics through the government’s Phase Four website.
“We’re pleased with vaccination rates and our epidemiology continues to improve, putting us in a good position to move to Phase 4 of our reopening plan,” said Premier Rankin. “This doesn’t mean we can let our guard down, but it does mean we can enjoy larger gatherings and support businesses by exploring all that Nova Scotia has to offer this summer.”
While taking questions from the media Premier Rankin was pressed about when an election would be called. Premier Rankin was unwilling to provide an answer but he did say when an election is called he will step away from doing the provincial COVID-19 updates.
