N.S. lifts Health Protection Act order, ends weekly COVID-19 reports
CTV
Nova Scotia is making changes to how COVID-19 is reported and managed in the province.
Nova Scotia is making changes to how COVID-19 is reported and managed in the province.
The province has lifted its COVID-19 Health Protection Act, effective Tuesday. It began on March 15, 2020 when the first cases of COVID-19 were identified in the province.
Nova Scotia's chief medical officer of health cited the World Health Organization’s recent declaration that COVID-19 no longer represents a global health emergency as the reason for the change.
"It is important to note that while COVID-19 no longer requires an emergency-type response, we continue to monitor COVID-19 activity and will adjust our plan as needed, as we do with other diseases," said Dr. Robert Strang in a news release Tuesday morning.
"As we begin to plan for the upcoming respiratory season this fall, we are taking a more general approach, integrating COVID-19 into our respiratory illnesses program. The same type of personal measures that protect us against COVID-19 will also protect us against influenza and other respiratory illnesses."
The mandatory vaccination protocol for high-risk settings, which came into effect in 2021, is also changing.
The province said employers and operators of high-risk settings will be responsible for COVID-19 policies, including masking. They’ll also decide whether employees, outside service providers and volunteers need to be vaccinated.
