Nova Scotia is reporting one new case of COVID-19 on Tuesday, with 27 active cases in the province.
The new case is in the province’s central health zone and is a close contact of a previously reported case, according to a news release from the Department of Health and Wellness.
At a briefing this afternoon, the province also announced mandatory testing for rotational workers returning to Nova Scotia after working in another part of the country.
The high number of cases, especially in Alberta where many Nova Scotians work, is concerning, Premier Stephen McNeil said in Tuesday’s press briefing.
Currently, rotational workers are asked to get tested within the first two days of their return to Nova Scotia, and again about a week later.
“Not all rotational workers are complying, and that’s a problem,” he said.
Dr. Robert Strang said only about one-third of rotational workers are actually getting tested.
Effective Friday, COVID-19 testing will be mandatory for rotational workers who work outside Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador.
Audits will be completed, and rotational workers will be contacted by phone to remind them of the need to get tested. Anyone who does not get tested will be fined $1,000.
Regardless of test results, rotational workers must complete their modified 14-day self-isolation.
Funding for universities
The province will be spending $25 million to help Nova Scotia universities manage the financial impact of the pandemic, according to a news release Tuesday from the Department of Labour and Advanced Education.
The funding is intended to help with revenue lost in 2020-2021 related to tuition and residence fees, and pandemic-related costs around curriculum development, information technology and increased cleaning.
The money will be doled out to 10 Nova Scotia universities based on information they provided to the province about expenses they incurred in response to the pandemic.
Dalhousie University will receive the largest portion of the funding, close to $9.5 million. The Atlantic School of Theology is getting the smallest chunk, about $218,000.
The funding is for university institutions only — Nova Scotia Community College is not listed among the recipients.
The province is urging students who have returned from outside the Atlantic provinces to book a COVID-19 test on the sixth, seventh or eighth day of their quarantine, regardless of whether they have symptoms.
Any students experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 must complete a self-assessment online or call 811. Students still must complete their 14-day isolation period even with a negative test result.
Acadia University in Wolfville, N.S., is one of 10 Nova Scotia universities that will receive funding from the province to help counter revenue loss in 2020-2021. (Elizabeth McMillan/CBC)
Multiple fines issued
Police in Halifax say they have issued tickets for failing to comply with the public health regulations in two separate incidents last weekend.
Halifax Regional Police said the first incident happened at 9:30 p.m. on Friday, after they received a report that a delivery driver from a Bedford restaurant was not wearing a mask while delivering orders to an apartment building.
Officers issued a $1,000 summary offence ticket to the man for violating the Health Protection Act, according to a news release sent out on Tuesday.
The current COVID regulations require people to wear a mask that covers their nose and mouth while in an indoor public space, which includes building lobbies.
Police responded to a separate incident at 12:30 a.m. on Sunday at a residence in Halifax.
There was a report of a social gathering that exceeded the gathering limits of 10 people. A police spokesperson, Const. John MacLeod, said there were approximately 20 people in the residence.
Officers issued tickets to three men, the residents of the home, and each were fined $1,000.
Robin MacLean, a nurse and clinical practice leader at the Valley Regional Hospital emergency department, was the first person in western zone to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine was administered by nurse Cindi Mattinson on Tuesday. (Communications Nova Scotia)
Immunizations using the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine began in the western health zone on Tuesday, starting at the Valley Regional Hospital in Kentville.
Phase 1 vaccinations in the western zone will be limited to health-care workers and designated caregivers at long-term care facilities, according to a government spokesperson.
Ann Hicks was “absolutely delighted” to be the first Northwood resident immunized against COVID-19 on Monday. The executive director for Northwood’s long-term care program, Josie Ryan, says all residents at the Halifax facility should be vaccinated this week. 0:58
Atlantic Canada case numbers
The latest COVID-19 numbers from the Atlantic provinces are:
New Brunswick reported 17 new cases on Tuesday and 219 active cases. The province is also reporting two deaths, bringing the total to 11 since the start of the pandemic. Every zone of the province has been rolled back to orange-phase restrictions to deal with the growing number of cases.
Newfoundland and Labrador reported no new cases on Monday. There are five active cases in the province, with one person in hospital.
P.E.I. reported one new case on Tuesday — the person travelled outside of Atlantic Canada and is self-isolating. There are now eight active cases on the island.
Human Resources Officers must be very busy these days what with the general turnover of employees in our retail and business sectors. It is hard enough to find skilled people let alone potential employees willing to be trained. Then after the training, a few weeks go by then they come to you and ask for a raise. You refuse as there simply is no excess money in the budget and away they fly to wherever they come from, trained but not willing to put in the time to achieve that wanted raise.
I have had potentials come in and we give them a test to see if they do indeed know how to weld, polish or work with wood. 2-10 we hire, and one of those is gone in a week or two. Ask that they want overtime, and their laughter leaving the building is loud and unsettling. Housing starts are doing well but way behind because those trades needed to finish a project simply don’t come to the site, with delay after delay. Some people’s attitudes are just too funny. A recent graduate from a Ivy League university came in for an interview. The position was mid-management potential, but when we told them a three month period was needed and then they would make the big bucks they disappeared as fast as they arrived.
Government agencies are really no help, sending us people unsuited or unwilling to carry out the jobs we offer. Handing money over to staffing firms whose referrals are weak and ineffectual. Perhaps with the Fall and Winter upon us, these folks will have to find work and stop playing on the golf course or cottaging away. Tried to hire new arrivals in Canada but it is truly difficult to find someone who has a real identity card and is approved to live and work here. Who do we hire? Several years ago my father’s firm was rocking and rolling with all sorts of work. It was a summer day when the immigration officers arrived and 30+ employees hit the bricks almost immediately. The investigation that followed had threats of fines thrown at us by the officials. Good thing we kept excellent records, photos and digital copies. We had to prove the illegal documents given to us were as good as the real McCoy.
Restauranteurs, builders, manufacturers, finishers, trades-based firms, and warehousing are all suspect in hiring illegals, yet that becomes secondary as Toronto increases its minimum wage again bringing our payroll up another $120,000. Survival in Canada’s financial and business sectors is questionable for many. Good luck Chuck!. at least your carbon tax refund check should be arriving soon.
NORMAN WELLS, N.W.T. – Imperial Oil says it will temporarily reduce its fuel prices in a Northwest Territories community that has seen costs skyrocket due to low water on the Mackenzie River forcing the cancellation of the summer barge resupply season.
Imperial says in a Facebook post it will cut the air transportation portion that’s included in its wholesale price in Norman Wells for diesel fuel, or heating oil, from $3.38 per litre to $1.69 per litre, starting Tuesday.
The air transportation increase, it further states, will be implemented over a longer period.
It says Imperial is closely monitoring how much fuel needs to be airlifted to the Norman Wells area to prevent runouts until the winter road season begins and supplies can be replenished.
Gasoline and heating fuel prices approached $5 a litre at the start of this month.
Norman Wells’ town council declared a local emergency on humanitarian grounds last week as some of its 700 residents said they were facing monthly fuel bills coming to more than $5,000.
“The wholesale price increase that Imperial has applied is strictly to cover the air transportation costs. There is no Imperial profit margin included on the wholesale price. Imperial does not set prices at the retail level,” Imperial’s statement on Monday said.
The statement further said Imperial is working closely with the Northwest Territories government on ways to help residents in the near term.
“Imperial Oil’s decision to lower the price of home heating fuel offers immediate relief to residents facing financial pressures. This step reflects a swift response by Imperial Oil to discussions with the GNWT and will help ease short-term financial burdens on residents,” Caroline Wawzonek, Deputy Premier and Minister of Finance and Infrastructure, said in a news release Monday.
Wawzonek also noted the Territories government has supported the community with implementation of a fund supporting businesses and communities impacted by barge cancellations. She said there have also been increases to the Senior Home Heating Subsidy in Norman Wells, and continued support for heating costs for eligible Income Assistance recipients.
Additionally, she said the government has donated $150,000 to the Norman Wells food bank.
In its declaration of a state of emergency, the town said the mayor and council recognized the recent hike in fuel prices has strained household budgets, raised transportation costs, and affected local businesses.
It added that for the next three months, water and sewer service fees will be waived for all residents and businesses.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2024.
TORONTO – A new report says many Canadian business leaders are worried about economic uncertainties related to the looming U.S. election.
The survey by KPMG in Canada of 735 small- and medium-sized businesses says 87 per cent fear the Canadian economy could become “collateral damage” from American protectionist policies that lead to less favourable trade deals and increased tariffs
It says that due to those concerns, 85 per cent of business leaders in Canada polled are reviewing their business strategies to prepare for a change in leadership.
The concerns are primarily being felt by larger Canadian companies and sectors that are highly integrated with the U.S. economy, such as manufacturing, automotive, transportation and warehousing, energy and natural resources, as well as technology, media and telecommunications.
Shaira Nanji, a KPMG Law partner in its tax practice, says the prospect of further changes to economic and trade policies in the U.S. means some Canadian firms will need to look for ways to mitigate added costs and take advantage of potential trade relief provisions to remain competitive.
Both presidential candidates have campaigned on protectionist policies that could cause uncertainty for Canadian trade, and whoever takes the White House will be in charge during the review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement in 2026.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 22, 2024.
