HALIFAX: As the COVID-19 curve flattens, the provincial government announced that more businesses and services can re-open to the public later this month.
On May 27, Premier Stephen McNeil and Dr. Robert Strang, chief medical officer of health for Nova Scotia, announced that parts of the economy are ready to restart.
“These steps were only made possible because of your hard work,” the Premier said. “We believe we have found a balance between public safety and restarting our economy. We are still moving slowly, but this is a good first step.”
Effective June 5, most businesses required to close under the public health order can re-open but they must follow public health protocols to ensure physical distancing, increased cleaning and other protective measures for staff and customers.
“Allowing businesses to re-open with modifications is an important way to help create our new normal as we continue to fight the virus that causes COVID-19,” Dr. Strang noted. “We’re working with those businesses to make details of their protocols available for the public to see.
“These rules, important rules about numbers and distancing are critical to controlling COVID-19 and are here to stay for significant lengths of time.”
The following can open if they are ready and choose to do so: restaurants for dine-in, as well as takeout and delivery; as well as bars, wineries, distilleries and taprooms. However, lounges are not permitted to re-open at this time.
Also re-opening are personal services, such as hair salons, barber shops, spas, nail salons, and body art establishments.
Fitness facilities, such as gyms, yoga studios and climbing facilities, are also permitted to open.
Other health providers can also reopen on June 5, provided they follow protocols in their colleges’ and associations’ plans, as approved by public health.
These include: dentistry and other self-regulated health professions such as optometry, chiropractic and physiotherapy; as well as unregulated health professions such as massage therapy, podiatry and naturopathy. Veterinarians are also allowed to restart.
Although dental offices may reopen, not all dental procedures will be immediately allowed. Types of treatments available effective June 5 include treatment for dental pain caused by infections, chipped or broken teeth and broken fillings, as well as treatment for dental emergencies.
Effective June 19, dentists will be able to provide all dental procedures to their patients.
“The past 11 weeks of limited access to dental care has been extremely difficult for both patients and oral health care providers,” stated Dr. Martin Gillis, the Registrar of the Provincial Dental Board.
Public health continues to work with the child care sector on a plan to reopen safely. June 15 is now the goal, but the reopening date will be confirmed and shared with Nova Scotians once the plan is fully approved.
“We are still working though with our child care sector for a plan to re-open safely,” the premier noted. “We had hoped that this would be June 8 but now it looks more like June 15. We will share the official re-opening date once the plan is fully approved. Our primary focus though will always be on the safety of our children and we’re not going to rush it.”
Existing public health directives around physical distancing and gathering limits remain in place. People must keep two metres apart and not gather in groups of more than five.
“I have every confidence that you can do this and I have confidence that Nova Scotians will support you,” McNeil said. “Let’s be clear, we will be monitoring the restart very closely from a public health point-of-view and we will continue testing so that if there are any signs of a problem, we will be on it.”
Dr. Strang noted that there are other sectors that are working on re-opening plans.
“Many others have submitted plans that are in the process of being reviewed right now and still others are developing their plans with support from occupational health and safety and public health,” Dr. Strang said.
Eligible businesses, non-profits, charities and social enterprises will be able to access the new Small Business Reopening and Support Grant, a $25 million fund that will provide grants to help them open safely and business continuity vouchers for advice and support to become more resilient in the coming months.
More information is available on-line at: https://novascotia.ca/coronavirus and applications will begin June 1.
The premier said those who received the Small Business Impact Grant in April do not have to apply for this grant as they will be contacted by the province.
“This fund will provide eligible small businesses, not-for-profit, charities and social enterprises with a grant of up to $5,000,” McNeil explained. “Many of you have to operate under entirely new conditions, and maybe even change your business model, so along with the grant, we’re offering a voucher worth $1,500 to access consulting services to offer you advice. This program is for those ordered to close under the public health order, along with small independent retailers, independent gas retailers and dental clinics.”
That same day, the province announced it is investing up to $230 million to improve infrastructure.
McNeil announced stimulus spending directed toward more than 200 shovel-ready projects.
“These projects will support small and medium-sized construction companies across our province who will hire Nova Scotians to do that work. This investment will create some 2,000 jobs in this fiscal year.”
The projects include new investments that can start right away, along with previously approved projects that will be accelerated or will receive increased funding.
They include investments in: additional paving for 100 series highways and local roads across the province; the expansion of the gravel road program; the replacement of at least six bridges, including Captain Gillis, near Port Hood and Nelson’s in Margaree; school repairs, including roofs, windows and mechanical upgrades; work to provincial waterfronts; provincial museum upgrades; work to four provincially owned small option homes; dyke rehabilitation at locations around the province; and NSCC campus upgrades.
Tenders will be issued immediately and will be rolled out over the next four weeks.