NL and PEI impose new travel restrictions, bursting the Atlantic bubble – Canada News

Photo: The Canadian Press

The iconic Ron Hynes statue on George Street in downtown St. John’s wears a mask on July 11, 2020. Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador announced Monday that they are temporarily withdrawing from the Atlantic bubble as the cases of COVID-19 increase the region. “After careful consideration and consultation, I have made the tough decision to implement a circuit break,” Premier Andrew Furey told reporters in St. John’s, NL. “Implementing this change over a two-week period. it is an effort to avoid a complete blockade. “THE CANADIAN PRESS / Paul Daly

Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador announced on Monday that they are temporarily withdrawing from the Atlantic bubble as Nova Scotia and New Brunswick published double-digit numbers of new cases.

“After careful consideration and consultation, I have made the tough decision to implement a circuit break,” Premier Andrew Furey told reporters in St. John’s, NL. “Implementing this change over a two-week period. it’s an effort to avoid a complete block. “

In Charlottetown, PEI Premier Dennis King announced what he called a preemptive move, “which we hope will allow us to maintain the near-normal standard of living we have enjoyed in this province.” King said all non-essential travel to and from the island would be suspended until December 7, at which time the situation would be reassessed. The changes will take effect on Tuesday. In Newfoundland and Labrador, starting Wednesday all visitors to the province from the Atlantic provinces will have to self-isolate for 14 days upon arrival, just like visitors from other parts of Canada.

The other two provinces of the region for now maintain their presence in the bubble. But both Nova Scotia Premier Stephen McNeil and New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs have urged residents to stay close to stay home.

“I join my fellow premier in warning against all non-essential travel in the next two weeks outside our respective provinces,” Higgs told reporters in Fredericton. “Now is not the time to travel to other areas.”

The four Atlantic provinces formed their so-called bubble in July to allow residents to travel freely within the region, while those visiting from outside had to isolate themselves for 14 days.

Dr Janice Fitzgerald, Newfoundland and Labrador health manager, pointed out ongoing outbreaks in New Brunswick on Monday and reported that the community spread to Nova Scotia when she addressed how health officials would determine whether the bubble could be restored.

New Brunswick reported its seventh death and 15 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday after reaching its highest daily case count on Saturday, with 23 infections. There are currently 89 active cases in the province.

Nova Scotia reported 11 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday, after the province reported potential exposure in nearly 40 locations in Halifax over the weekend. One of Monday’s infections was first identified during a pilot rapid test program in downtown Halifax on Saturday night.

Amid growing concerns over the spread of the community, particularly among young people, stricter public health regulations came into effect on Monday morning restricting gatherings in the Halifax region and neighboring Hants County. Last week, someone tested positive in Newfoundland and Labrador after returning to the province from Nova Scotia. Prince Edward Island reported a new case of COVID-19 on Monday: a woman in her forties who traveled to the island from outside the Atlantic region. The province has only recorded 69 cases since the start of the pandemic, all related to travel. Newfoundland and Labrador reported two new cases on Monday, both in the western region of the province. The first is a man aged between 20 and 39 who returned to the province after a trip to Manitoba. The second is the province’s first case in a school, a girl attending an elementary school in Deer Lake, where a group of related cases were first identified last week. The province now has 23 active cases.

The rules for Newfoundland and Labrador rotation workers were also tightened on Monday. Workers returning to the province from a construction site now have to wait seven days to get a COVID-19 test instead of five. If the test is negative, they will have limited freedoms, Fitzgerald said. They can visit family and public places, but they must wear a mask, even with family members, and continue to monitor symptoms.