|
Yesterday Public Health announced 96 cases of COVID-19, 90 of which are in HRM. We are significantly ramping up testing, but this is still a concerning spike in cases.
Given the climbing case count, the government has announced a province-wide shutdown. All schools and non-essential retail will be closed for two weeks. Restaurants will move to take-out only, and employers are strongly encouraged to implement work from home policies where possible.
If this week feels like a year, you're not alone. The good news is that by identifying cases, we can isolate them and stop the spread of COVID-19 in the province. If we weren't testing so much, we could have a lot of people walking around infecting Nova Scotians. Thank you to everyone who is getting tested. We were notified today that 60 personnel from CFB Greenwood will be deployed to aid in our testing effort.
If you have been indicated for testing because of an exposure notification or you are a close contact or symptomatic, please book a test at a primary assessment site. The Dartmouth General drive-through and the Sportsplex are the two in our community. You are still encouraged to get a test if you are asymptomatic, and you can do so at pop-up sites around the HRM, including the Alderney Library.
As your MLA, I have been on the phone since last Thursday with government and public health staff. I'm happy to see pop-up rapid testing at Alderney Gate Public Library and a primary testing site set up at the Zatzman Sportsplex. Thank you to everyone who helped elevate testing capacity in our community and to everyone who is getting tested regularly during this case spike.
After over a year of advocacy, I was very pleased to hear Dr. Strang say that childcare will be provided for essential workers during this third wave. Details have not been released, but if you are an essential worker in need of childcare please contact the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development at ECDSERVICES@Novascotia.ca or 1-877-223-9555
|
