You might be able to drop the mask by this time next week.
Nova Scotia remains on track to enter into Phase 5 of its re-opening plan on September 15.
Our vaccination rate is at 72 percent and Dr. Robert Strang is confident we’ll hit the 75 percent threshold to drop nearly all restrictions.
“Nova Scotia is ready. I am confident we’ll be able to move into the final phase. Masking will not be mandatory,” Strang said. “It’s taken a long time to get here, but we need to be aware of a possible fourth wave.”
When we enter Phase 5, it means there will no longer be gathering limits.
“We do not want to shut down the province again.” Strang said.
Health-care facilities will continue to set their own policies for masks and visitation. Businesses and other organizations are also free to set their own mask policies.
Border measures will remain in place.
The province will also start requiring proof of full vaccination for non-essential, discretionary, recreation and leisure services and activities on October 4.
“As we transition into Phase 5 and living with COVID, we must be mindful of the impact the fourth wave is having around the world and across the country,” said Premier Tim Houston. “We want to continue opening up our province and our lives in a way that protects Nova Scotians and minimizes the impact of the Delta variant and fourth wave on our people, our health-care system and our economy.”
As of October 4, proof of full vaccination will be required for Nova Scotians who are 12 or older to participate in discretionary, recreational or non-essential activities such as dining out, going to a fitness facility, or going to a movie, theatre performance, concert or sporting event.
The proof of vaccination requirement does not apply to children 11 years of age and under because they are not eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.
Children age 11 and under who attend these activities with a fully vaccinated adult will be allowed to participate.
People are considered to be fully vaccinated 14 days after their second dose of a World Health Organization (WHO) approved vaccine or the one-dose Janssen vaccine, which is also WHO-approved.
The province will also develop a process for the few people who have medical conditions that prevent them from getting vaccinated. More details about the proof of vaccination policy will become available in the coming weeks.
“Nova Scotians have stepped up in recent weeks and we are so close to our minimum target of 75 percent fully vaccinated that we are confident we can move into Phase 5 safely on September 15,” said Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia’s chief medical officer of health. “It is still up to all of us to do our part to protect our friends, our families and ourselves. One of the most important things you can do, is get vaccinated.”
The province is also making some changes to border and self-isolation requirements effective Thursday, Sept. 9, at 8 a.m.:
— international travellers will no longer have to fill out the Nova Scotia Safe Check-in form because the federal government has increased monitoring their compliance with the Quarantine Act
— the isolation requirement for unvaccinated domestic travellers changes from 14 days to a minimum seven days; to stop isolating after seven days, they will need two negative test results, the same as travellers who have one dose of vaccine
— people who are identified as close contacts of COVID-19 cases and have had two doses of the Pfizer, Moderna or AstraZeneca vaccines, or a combination of any two of them, are considered optimally protected and do not have to self-isolate unless otherwise directed by public health
— people who have had the one-dose Janssen vaccine or one or two doses of any other WHO-approved vaccine can become optimally protected if they get an additional dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine; an additional dose will be made available to anyone who meets any of these criteria and can be booked online or by phone
