Province Bursts Family Bubble – Not Ready To Open
Nova Scotia is reporting three additional deaths related to COVID-19, at the Northwood long-term care home in Halifax Regional Municipality.
That brings the total number of deaths related to the coronavirus to 51.
Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia’s chief medical officer of health was asked about the possibility of loosening safety restrictions as other provinces have done to allow two family groups to interact in what is referred to as a two-bubble household.
Strang says he has been exploring that option.
“The bubble family concept is actually fairly complex. We’ve had conversations with New Brunswick about that and they’ve had to invest a lot of time in communication, helping people understand that.”
Strang says the bubble model comes with many challenges.
“Making families make a choice potentially they can visit one set of relatives but they can’t visit another set of relatives, or maybe they have to chose between grandparents or grandchildren.”
He says as he looks at what will be included in phase one of the province’s recovery, he is exploring other options.
“Maybe the way to do this is not bubble families, but loosening off some of the restrictions around what types of gatherings and the numbers that are allowed.”
Premier Stephen McNeil says he is frequently asked when the province will reopen.
He says once he and his minsters have received advice through consultation with public health officials, he will come back with a date.
McNeil says he wants to ensure Dr.Strang is confident in the science and that Nova Scotians will be confident when the province opens up.
“This is not a competition. We are not in a race. We need to be safe. We need to continue to see a pattern of fewer cases. That happens, and I feel confident that we are getting closer to a gradual opening.”
Nova Scotia has 1,024 confirmed cases of COVID-19 after four new cases were identified Tuesday.
Nine individuals are currently in hospital, four of those in ICU.
Eight-hundred and seventy individuals have now recovered and their cases of COVID-19 are considered resolved.
The QEII Health Sciences Centre’s microbiology lab completed 502 Nova Scotia tests on May 12 and has reported 34,604 negative test results to date.
There are three licensed long-term care homes and unlicensed seniors’ facilities in Nova Scotia with active cases of COVID-19. Northwood in Halifax currently has 64 residents and 13 staff with active cases. One other facility has one staff member with an active case of COVID-19 and another facility has one resident with an active case.
Reported by Ed Halverson
E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson