Nova Scotia ends COVID-19 state of emergency and lifts mask mandates

Nova Scotia's state of emergency has ended after two years and the province's COVID-19mask mandate was lifted formost indoor public places Monday.

People in stores, theatres, restaurants and other public places will no longer have to don face coverings or show proof of vaccination, but after a last-minute change, masks will still be mandatory in schools for a few more weeks.

Masks are also still required in provincial jails, courts, hospitals and other health-care settings, long-term care homes and adult residential centres.

The province also lifted gathering limits and rules for physical distancing. Businesses and organizations across all sectors can resume full operations with no mandatory public health restrictions.

Restaurants Canada reacts to N.S. lifting most public health restrictions

2 years ago

Duration 4:23

Restaurants Canada's Luc Erjavec is optimistic the industry, which is Nova Scotia's third largest employer, will come roaring back now that most COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted in the province.

Special events such as festivals, sports, performances, meetings, training and faith ceremonies can resume in full.

The province invoked the Emergency Management Act in March 2020 to declare a state of emergency, and kept renewing it every two weeks.That allowed the government to quickly impose measures like closing the borders and keeping people from leaving home.

The EmergencyManagement Act was also used to ban protesters from blocking roads and highways. It was lifted at 12:01 a.m. Monday.

Health act remains

Wayne MacKay, alaw professor at Dalhousie University,said the province did the right thing by using the act in early 2020, but it shouldhave been more transparent about its need to renew the state of emergencyduring the past two years.

"We should ensure that the government can justify extending that time of emergency each time they have to do it," he said.

The province can still use the Health Protection Act to impose some restrictions.

Even with the lifting of most restrictions, Nova Scotia's chief medical officer of health said Monday that after a decline, the number of lab-confirmed positive COVID-19tests has gone up over the last few weeks.

Thanks to the province'shigh level of vaccination, Dr. Robert Strang saidrestrictive, mandated measures are no longer needed, but he urgedpeopleto make personal choices thatkeep themselves and others safe.

Listen to Dr. Robert Strang's full interview here:

"It's no different today than it was a month ago, or last week there's still virus around and we need people to be careful," he told CBC Radio's Information Morning.

"But, you know, at some point, the restrictive measures were always time-limited and we shouldn't necessarily have to require something to have people understand and follow steps that will keep them and others safe."

Marc Maillet,theprovincial director of the Canadian Transplant Association, said the end of public health mandates adds anotherlevel of anxiety for people who are immunocompromisedor have underlying health conditions.

"I guess there is a little bit of frustration there," he said on CBC Radio'sMaritime Noon. "Everybody is expecting people to make the right choice and I strongly believe that most people will."

Maillet, who is a transplant recipient, said people who have suppressed immune systems have had a "heightened awareness" the last two years and itwill continue after the mandates are gone.

"We're just asking people to juststop for a minute and think of everybody around them," he said."You can't tell if the person next to you is immunocompromised or has a serious underlying illness that if they catch COVID, it could be the end. They could die from this."

Protest outside Strang's home

People opposed to public health measuresprotested outside of Strang'shome on Sunday.

He saidhis family had to deal with a small group of protesters, as well as prank phone calls,well into Monday morning.

"It's a very small group of people, single-digit numbers, and I'm not sure quite what point they're trying to make," he said.

Strang thanked the many Nova Scotians who sent him messages of support over the weekend, andsaid he pays the protesters "as little attention as possible."

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