Health
'Milestone year' for Nova Scotia film industry spoiled by COVID-19 – CBC.ca
If it was a movie plot, 2020 would have been the year Nova Scotia’s down-but-not-out film industry emerged from the shadows of the 2015 decision by the McNeil government to eliminate the film tax credit, a popular incentive that had fuelled industry growth over two decades.
But like all good plots, COVID-19 is the dramatic twist no one expected, or planned for.
“Let me tell you, we were all very, very excited about 2020,” said Laura Mackenzie, executive director of Screen Nova Scotia, the voice of the film and TV industry in the province.
“We were poised to be in production, or at least pre-production and production from January through to December of this year, which would have been a milestone year.”
Mackenzie said there would have been at least six larger budget, scripted productions being filmed in the province, as well as at least 40 smaller-budget productions.
“But at this point, every single production is trying to sort of find their way forward,” she said.
Although film production was not one of the businesses ordered closed by the province, the fact only essential out-of-province workers are allowed into Nova Scotia is a major impediment for an industry that relies on outside crews and expertise for much of its most lucrative work.
The need for people to keep their distance from one another will be an ongoing challenge for crews who are sometimes forced to work in close proximity to one another and for actors who need to, well, act.
‘There’s gonna have to be some exceptions’
Michael Volpe, the president of Topsail Productions and co-producer of the Oscar-nominated film The Lighthouse, said there’s a need to adapt restrictions to the reality of the industry, particularly physical distancing rules.
“There’s gonna have to be some exceptions to those things,” he said. “We’ve talked a lot about testing and, you know, there’s the option of testing key people, not only when they enter the province, but during the production and maybe that’s an answer or you just have to rewrite things.
“There will be times when the social distancing is broken, just by the very nature of intimate scenes, so maybe testing is the answer. It’ll be a big experiment for all of us here.”
Edward Peill, the president of Tell Tale Productions Inc., the Canadian partner on The Curse of Oak Island, a popular TV series set in Nova Scotia, said he can’t talk about whether the show will be shot here this summer, but said his company has come up with new protocol for other projects.
He said crew members would be told to give each other extra space and they would be screened every day.
“We’ll be taking their temperatures and recording that on the sheet,” he said. “And if anyone has any symptoms or their temperature’s abnormally high, then we’ll ask them to not continue and to go to the hospital and get tested.”
Peill said crews will no longer travel together and on set, crews will wear face masks and physically distance from each other. There will be a strict protocol for cleaning equipment and when possible, gear won’t be shared.
Like Volpe, he’d like to see some restrictions eased to meet industry requirements, such as the 14-day quarantine requirement for those coming from out of province, which could be “cost prohibitive.”
“We want to respect the 14-day quarantine, but bringing a crew person in and then paying them to sit in a hotel room by themselves for 14 days before they can start working, you can imagine the challenges that creates if they’re only coming in for a week of work or two weeks,” Peill said.
Mackenzie is more blunt. She said for production to move forward, the 14-day quarantine period needs to be eliminated. She said Screen Nova Scotia is working with the provincial and federal governments on the issues the industry is facing.
Volpe said a healthy film business isn’t just good for the industry itself.
“This type of production really helps out all the businesses that are really hurting the most,” he said. “You know, the restaurants, the hotels, bars and all that economic activity that is really just coming out of the COVID shutdown.”
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NEWS RELEASE
SOUTHLAKE REGIONAL HEALTH CENTRE
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This Cancer Awareness Month, Southlake is adding advanced technologies to detect and treat breast cancer and other women’s cancers thanks to generous community donor support, most recently through the HERE is Where Cancer Meets its Match campaign. New cancer care technology, including new mammography machines, the MyoSure System and the MOLLI 2® System will make a measurable impact in diagnosing and treating women’s cancers in the communities Southlake serves.
Southlake is installing three new mammography machines to expand its breast cancer screening program to 1,500 more women each year. Two of these machines have new biopsy capabilities that will reduce the number of cancelled exams due to equipment failure, ensuring timely care for women. Women ages 40 to 49 years old will be able to self-refer for publicly funded mammograms through the Ontario Breast Screening Program starting this fall.
“Early detection is critical when treating breast cancer and other women’s cancers,” said Lorrie Reynolds, Director, Regional Cancer Program at Southlake. “We treat more than 1,700 breast cancer patients at Southlake every year. By adding advanced technology, like the new mammography machines, we’re ensuring women have the best experience at Southlake.”
Southlake is also introducing the MyoSure System, an innovative technology that can help detect female reproductive cancers. Damaged tissue in a woman’s uterus such as fibroids and polyps can now be removed in a precise, minimally invasive procedure that leaves the rest of the uterus intact. This will improve the overall patient experience by supporting faster recovery, reducing the risk of infection and giving more women the option to have children. An estimated 200 women per year will benefit from the MyoSure System.
The new mammography machines and the MyoSure System build on Southlake’s recent investment in the MOLLI 2® System, a made-in-Canada wire-free breast localization technology. This technology is considerably less invasive and more accurate when compared to wire-guided localization, resulting in a better patient experience and improved cosmetic outcomes. More than 200 women each year will benefit from this innovative medical device as they are treated for breast cancer at Southlake.
“As a clinician caring for women with cancer in our community, I’m incredibly proud of the work Southlake is doing to advance women’s health and improve patient experiences,” said Sara Temple, MD, Surgical Oncologist and Chief of Surgery at Southlake. “Women who visit Southlake can be confident that they are receiving leading edge care, close to home when they need it most.”
The World Health Organization anticipates a 77 per cent increase in cancer diagnoses by 2050. Southlake serves some of the fastest growing communities in Canada and anticipates that the number of patients requiring cancer care will grow. By investing in new technology, Southlake is ensuring that women in the communities it serves have access to leading edge cancer care. All of these investments were funded with support from community donors who generously gave to Southlake to support investments into women’s health at the hospital.
“The generosity of our donor community and the impact they have made for women receiving cancer diagnosis and treatment at Southlake is something we can all take great pride in,” said Jennifer Ritter, President and CEO of Southlake Foundation. “From our Women’s Health Initiative donors supporting new mammography machines, to the Ladies in Philanthropy for Southlake funding the MOLLI 2 System, to our long-standing partners The Edge Benefits and Pheasant Run Golf Club enabling the introduction of MyoSure System through their joint annual charity golf tournament, we are incredibly lucky to share a vision of access to exceptional care for everyone who depends on Southlake when they need us most. Thank you, to every donor who contributed to these important upgrades to care for women.”
Southlake Foundation’s HERE is Where Cancer Meets its Match campaign supports the Stronach Regional Cancer Centre at Southlake. For more information or to make a donation, visit: southlake.ca/HERE.
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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says that samples of pasteurized milk have tested positive for remnants of the bird flu virus that has infected dairy cows.
The agency stressed that the material is inactivated and that the findings “do not represent actual virus that may be a risk to consumers.” Officials added that they’re continuing to study the issue.
“To date, we have seen nothing that would change our assessment that the commercial milk supply is safe,” the FDA said in a statement on Tuesday.
The announcement comes nearly a month after an avian influenza virus that has sickened millions of wild and commercial birds in recent years was detected in dairy cows in at least eight states. The Agriculture Department (USDA) says 33 herds have been affected to date.
FDA officials didn’t indicate how many samples they tested or where they were obtained. The agency has been evaluating milk during processing and from grocery stores, officials said. Results of additional tests are expected in “the next few days to weeks.”
WATCH | Bird flu spread in U.S. cows:
For the first time ever, avian influenza, or H5N1 bird flu, was detected in roughly a dozen dairy cow herds across the U.S. About That producer Lauren Bird explores why scientists and public health officials are concerned about the cross-species transmission and whether humans are now at higher risk.
The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) lab test the FDA used would have detected viral genetic material even after live virus was killed by pasteurization, or heat treatment, said Lee-Ann Jaykus, an emeritus food microbiologist and virologist at North Carolina State University
“There is no evidence to date that this is infectious virus, and the FDA is following up on that,” Jaykus said.
Officials with the FDA and the USDA had previously said milk from affected cattle did not enter the commercial supply. Milk from sick animals is supposed to be diverted and destroyed. Federal regulations require milk that enters interstate commerce to be pasteurized.
Tests for viable virus underway, agency says
Because the detection of the bird flu virus known as Type A H5N1 in dairy cattle is new and the situation is evolving, no studies on the effects of pasteurization on the virus have been completed, FDA officials said. But past research shows that pasteurization is “very likely” to inactivate heat-sensitive viruses like H5N1, the agency added.
The agency said it has been evaluating milk from affected animals, in the processing system and on the shelves. It said it is completing a large, representative national sample to understand the extent of the findings.
Matt Herrick, a spokesperson for the International Dairy Foods Association, said that time and temperature regulations for pasteurization ensure that the commercial U.S. milk supply is safe. Remnants of the virus “have zero impact on human health,” he wrote in an email.
Scientists confirmed the H5N1 virus in dairy cows in March after weeks of reports that cows in Texas were suffering from a mysterious malady. The cows were lethargic and saw a dramatic reduction in milk production. Although the H5N1 virus is lethal to commercial poultry, most infected cattle seem to recover within two weeks, experts said.
To date, two people in the U.S. have been infected with bird flu. A Texas dairy worker who was in close contact with an infected cow recently developed a mild eye infection and has recovered. In 2022, a prison inmate in a work program caught it while killing infected birds at a Colorado poultry farm. His only symptom was fatigue, and he recovered.
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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday that samples of pasteurized milk had tested positive for remnants of the bird flu virus that has infected dairy cows.
The agency stressed that the material is inactivated and that the findings “do not represent actual virus that may be a risk to consumers.” Officials added that they’re continuing to study the issue.
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