The COVID briefing is scheduled to begin at 3pm. it is being livestreamed here: novascotia.ca/stayinformed/w…
We're about to start.
McNeil: we are very concerned about increasing numbers...
McNeil: one travel related issue. They self-isolated but exposed others in their household. Starting now, all travellers and household members must isolate together.
McNeil: if you let people into your house to self-isolate, you must self-isolate as well.
McNeil: we're worried about a cluster in Clayton Park.
McNeil: we're going to change the rules of rotational workers. Maybe like Newfoundland has.
McNeil: "this is very serious"
Strang: last week, we talked about 2 clusters, 1 in Northern and 1 in Central Zone. They're now contained.
Strang: we now have a cluster in Clayton Park. They're all connected, but there are potential exposures throughout HRM.
Strang: 3 specific locations, we want anyone who was at those places to get tested: Bitter End, Montanas, St. Andrews Church. Get tested, even if you don't experience symptoms. Details here: halifaxexaminer.ca/featured/publi…
Strang: there was "confusion" over the weekend, but we've straightened that out.
Strang: we're fast-tracking testing for these people at the Halifax Infirmary
Strang: we're setting up mobile testing in Clayton Park.
Strang: there's no charge for testing, even if you don't have health insurance.
Strang: "we are at a tipping point... I had an anxious weekend."
Strang: anyone coming into the province must isolate alone for 14 days, and if they can't be alone, everyone in that household must start a 14-day isolation.
Strang gives the example, if a traveller goes to a hotel for 5 days, and then into a household, the 14-day isolation for the household starts when the traveller gets to the house.
Strang: you can't go to the grocery store, to school, etc.
Strang: exemptions still exist, but we're rapidly looking at how to tighten up those rules.
Strang: now is the time to be vigilant.
Strang: one of our cases is someone who was symptomatic but went out to socialize.
Strang: face shields don't replace the need for a mask.
Strang: we need to start ramping down our social activities... particularly in metro Halifax
Strang: I'm hearing more stories about non-essential travel outside Atlantic Canada. Now is not the time for casual visiting.
Strang: this holiday season is going to have to look different. You should not be planning non-essential outside or into the bubble. If your relatives do come, both they and you will need to self-isolate for 14 days.
Strang: we'e working on a framework for tightening restrictions. We don't plan to lock the province down unless that becomes necessary. We want to contain it, not to have no cases at all.
Strang: our fate is in our collective hands.
Strang: I've had reports of entire families with kids and grandchildren going shopping together, people not wearing masks. We need to stop that.
Q. Any consideration of changing how schools operate in Clayton Park? Strang: none of our new cases are school age, but in the next couple of weeks there MAY be a need for closures or blended schools.
Strang: we've alerted the schools in Clayton Park.
Strang: if there are cases of exposure in a school, they'll know quickly. There have been no exposure in a school so far.
Strang: in 1 of the 3 locations was there was a "she" who had no other exposure, and now she's a positive case.
Strang: there are 9 cases in the Clayton Park cluster. There's a "complex interaction" between the nine cases, and we don't know where it started yet.
McNeil: thanks the Bitter End because they took names of all patrons.
Q. Why were household members allowed to not self-isolate in the first place? Strang: our judgement was that the risk was low in the summer, now that's changed. "That risk equation changes."
Here's the press release about stricter travel and household restrictions: novascotia.ca/news/release/?…
Q about university students going home for Christmas. Strang: we can't stop them, but when they come back they will be required to self-isolate for 14 days.
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