HALIFAX —
Nova Scotia has announced seven new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday. Five previously reported cases are now considered resolved, increasing the total number of active cases in the province to 40.
Four of Tuesday’s new cases were identified in the province’s Northern Zone and are close contacts of previously reported cases.
The other three new cases were identified in the Central Zone and are related to travel outside of Atlantic Canada.
The province says all new cases are self-isolating as required.
“COVID-19 is still here and wants us to let our guard down. But we are not going to let that happen after all the hard work and sacrifice by Nova Scotians,” said N.S. Premier Stephen McNeil in a release. “We will contain the virus over the holiday season by keeping our gatherings small, wearing a mask and following all of the other public health protocols.”
“I’m encouraged to see that our case numbers have remained low as we get closer to the holiday season,” said Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia’s chief medical officer of health. “Let’s keep up the good work by continuing to follow all the public health measures – adhere to the gathering limits, keep a consistent social group, stay home if you are feeling unwell, wash your hands and self-isolate if required.”
N.S. COVID-19 CASE DATA
The Nova Scotia Health Authority’s labs completed 1,795 tests on Monday.
Since Oct. 1, Nova Scotia has done 101,394 tests. There have been 365 confirmed cases of COVID-19, and no deaths.
Since the pandemic began, there have been 1,454 cumulative confirmed cases, and 65 deaths. 1,349 cases are considered recovered, leaving 40 active cases in the province.
There is currently no one in hospital due to COVID-19.
The province’s confirmed cases range in age from under 10 to over 90.
Fifty-six per cent of cases are female, and 44 per cent are male.
There are cases confirmed across the province, but most have been identified in the Central Zone, which contains the Halifax Regional Municipality.
The provincial government says cumulative cases by zone may change as data is updated in Panorama, the province’s electronic information system.
The numbers reflect where a person lives and not where their sample was collected.
Western Zone: 82 cases
Central Zone: 1206 cases
Northern Zone: 94 cases
Eastern Zone: 65 cases
The provincial state of emergency, which was first declared on March 22, has been extended to Dec. 27.
NEW RESTRICTIONS IN EFFECT
New measures meant to prevent any possible surge of COVID-19 over the holiday period have come into effect across Nova Scotia.
Starting Monday and until Jan. 10, in-person dining at restaurants in the Halifax area will remain closed, while restaurants and licensed establishments in the rest of the province will have to stop service by 10 p.m. and close by 11 p.m.
Indoor gatherings provincewide are capped at 10 people and retail stores across Nova Scotia are required to limit the number of shoppers to 25 per cent of legal capacity.
“I’m sorry for the gathering limits, I know it’s difficult to manage, but Dr. Strang has said 10 is 10,” McNeil said. “The fact that we can gather at all is a blessing. Look at what’s happening in other parts of our country. (It) is because of your hard work and the commitment to following the protocols in this province that we’ve had any resemblance of a Christmas. So, rather than thinking about what we don’t have or what we can’t do, maybe this is a Christmas to focus on the moment and find creative ways to celebrate.”
Long-term care residents are allowed two designated caregivers while seniors facilities can permit limited visits by family members.
The province is asking citizens to avoid any unnecessary travel throughout the province and is recommending that if people need to travel, that they go directly to their final destination and stay there.
POTENTIAL EXPOSURE AT STELLARTON RESTAURANT
Late Monday, the Nova Scotia Health Authority warned of potential COVID-19 exposure at a restaurant in Stellarton, N.S.
The exposure warning was issued for Andre’s Pizza, located at 243 S Foord St. in Stellarton, from Dec. 10 to 14.
Those who were at the location during those days should monitor for symptoms, which may develop up to and including Dec. 28.
Nova Scotians now have the option to choose either an email or automated phone calls to notify them of negative COVID-19 test results.
“We recognize that it’s stressful to wait for test results and it can have an impact on the ability to go to work, school and daycare, so anything we can do to make that process more efficient for those being tested is a big win,” said Catherine Hebb, director, Public Health, Nova Scotia Health.
Upon receiving an automated call, Nova Scotians will be asked to enter the last four numbers of their health card or identification number to receive their result. Email results may be received 24 hours a day. Auto-calls may occur daily between noon and 5 p.m.
“It’s very important that people keep their phones with them and on if they are expecting a test result,” said Hebb. “The caller ID will indicate unknown name, unknown number; we ask people to answer those calls. They’ll also need to have their health card or identification ready.”
If a patient cannot be reached after receiving an email and two auto-calls, they will contacted by staff from Public Health or Service Nova Scotia. Nova Scotia Health has partnered with Service Nova Scotia to help deliver negative test results.
COVID ALERT APP
Canada’s COVID-19 Alert app is available in Nova Scotia.
The app, which can be downloaded through the Apple App Store or Google Play, notifies users if they may have been exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.
LIST OF SYMPTOMS
Anyone who experiences a fever or new or worsening cough, or two or more of the following new or worsening symptoms, is encouraged to take an online test or call 811 to determine if they need to be tested for COVID-19:
MONTREAL – Travel company Transat AT Inc. reported a loss in its latest quarter compared with a profit a year earlier as its revenue edged lower.
The parent company of Air Transat says it lost $39.9 million or $1.03 per diluted share in its quarter ended July 31.
The result compared with a profit of $57.3 million or $1.49 per diluted share a year earlier.
Revenue in what was the company’s third quarter totalled $736.2 million, down from $746.3 million in the same quarter last year.
On an adjusted basis, Transat says it lost $1.10 per share in its latest quarter compared with an adjusted profit of $1.10 per share a year earlier.
Transat chief executive Annick Guérard says demand for leisure travel remains healthy, as evidenced by higher traffic, but consumers are increasingly price conscious given the current economic uncertainty.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
Dollarama Inc.’s food aisles may have expanded far beyond sweet treats or piles of gum by the checkout counter in recent years, but its chief executive maintains his company is “not in the grocery business,” even if it’s keeping an eye on the sector.
“It’s just one small part of our store,” Neil Rossy told analysts on a Wednesday call, where he was questioned about the company’s food merchandise and rivals playing in the same space.
“We will keep an eye on all retailers — like all retailers keep an eye on us — to make sure that we’re competitive and we understand what’s out there.”
Over the last decade and as consumers have more recently sought deals, Dollarama’s food merchandise has expanded to include bread and pantry staples like cereal, rice and pasta sold at prices on par or below supermarkets.
However, the competition in the discount segment of the market Dollarama operates in intensified recently when the country’s biggest grocery chain began piloting a new ultra-discount store.
The No Name stores being tested by Loblaw Cos. Ltd. in Windsor, St. Catharines and Brockville, Ont., are billed as 20 per cent cheaper than discount retail competitors including No Frills. The grocery giant is able to offer such cost savings by relying on a smaller store footprint, fewer chilled products and a hearty range of No Name merchandise.
Though Rossy brushed off notions that his company is a supermarket challenger, grocers aren’t off his radar.
“All retailers in Canada are realistic about the fact that everyone is everyone’s competition on any given item or category,” he said.
Rossy declined to reveal how much of the chain’s sales would overlap with Loblaw or the food category, arguing the vast variety of items Dollarama sells is its strength rather than its grocery products alone.
“What makes Dollarama Dollarama is a very wide assortment of different departments that somewhat represent the old five-and-dime local convenience store,” he said.
The breadth of Dollarama’s offerings helped carry the company to a second-quarter profit of $285.9 million, up from $245.8 million in the same quarter last year as its sales rose 7.4 per cent.
The retailer said Wednesday the profit amounted to $1.02 per diluted share for the 13-week period ended July 28, up from 86 cents per diluted share a year earlier.
The period the quarter covers includes the start of summer, when Rossy said the weather was “terrible.”
“The weather got slightly better towards the end of the summer and our sales certainly increased, but not enough to make up for the season’s horrible start,” he said.
Sales totalled $1.56 billion for the quarter, up from $1.46 billion in the same quarter last year.
Comparable store sales, a key metric for retailers, increased 4.7 per cent, while the average transaction was down2.2 per cent and traffic was up seven per cent, RBC analyst Irene Nattel pointed out.
She told investors in a note that the numbers reflect “solid demand as cautious consumers focus on core consumables and everyday essentials.”
Analysts have attributed such behaviour to interest rates that have been slow to drop and high prices of key consumer goods, which are weighing on household budgets.
To cope, many Canadians have spent more time seeking deals, trading down to more affordable brands and forgoing small luxuries they would treat themselves to in better economic times.
“When people feel squeezed, they tend to shy away from discretionary, focus on the basics,” Rossy said. “When people are feeling good about their wallet, they tend to be more lax about the basics and more willing to spend on discretionary.”
The current economic situation has drawn in not just the average Canadian looking to save a buck or two, but also wealthier consumers.
“When the entire economy is feeling slightly squeezed, we get more consumers who might not have to or want to shop at a Dollarama generally or who enjoy shopping at a Dollarama but have the luxury of not having to worry about the price in some other store that they happen to be standing in that has those goods,” Rossy said.
“Well, when times are tougher, they’ll consider the extra five minutes to go to the store next door.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2024.
TORONTO – The U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has ordered TD Bank Group to pay US$28 million for repeatedly sharing inaccurate, negative information about its customers to consumer reporting companies.
The agency says TD has to pay US$7.76 million in total to tens of thousands of victims of its illegal actions, along with a US$20 million civil penalty.
It says TD shared information that contained systemic errors about credit card and bank deposit accounts to consumer reporting companies, which can include credit reports as well as screening reports for tenants and employees and other background checks.
CFPB director Rohit Chopra says in a statement that TD threatened the consumer reports of customers with fraudulent information then “barely lifted a finger to fix it,” and that regulators will need to “focus major attention” on TD Bank to change its course.
TD says in a statement it self-identified these issues and proactively worked to improve its practices, and that it is committed to delivering on its responsibilities to its customers.
The bank also faces scrutiny in the U.S. over its anti-money laundering program where it expects to pay more than US$3 billion in monetary penalties to resolve.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2024.
