Nova Scotia has announced it is tightening border restrictions with New Brunswick following the outbreak of cases in that province.
As of 8 a.m. on Jan. 9, everyone coming into the province from New Brunswick will have to self-isolate for 14 days. There are exceptions for those who are crossing the border due to work, a medical appointment, child custody arrangements or legal reasons.
“What we are saying is, do not go to New Brunswick,” Premier Stephen McNeil said in Friday’s news conference, adding that the numbers will be monitored to determine when the restrictions can be lifted.
“I feel for New Brunswick and wish them nothing but good luck.”
There has been a surge of cases in New Brunswick this week, with the province hitting a single-day record of 31 new cases on Wednesday. Twenty-four new cases were identified in New Brunswick on Thursday and 18 more on Friday.
Newfoundland and Labrador, P.E.I. and New Brunswick have all imposed isolation rules for all out-of-province travellers since the Atlantic bubble burst in November.
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People coming from New Brunswick must fill out an online check-in form before arriving in Nova Scotia.
McNeil said the land border would look similar to the first wave, where there is a separate line for essential service providers. Everyone else will be required to stop and identify where they are going.
Dr. Robert Strang, the province’s chief medical officer of health, said on Friday that people coming from P.E.I. and N.L. do not have to isolate when they come to Nova Scotia.
For those coming to Nova Scotia from P.E.I. via New Brunswick, he said they must drive straight through.
“You need to drive directly. Do not stop for food or gas in New Brunswick,” Strang said.
Nova Scotians who have had visitors from New Brunswick in the last 14 days should get tested immediately, Strang said. Those people should also consider a second test 5 to 7 days later.
Any Nova Scotians who visited New Brunswick in the past two weeks should also get tested and they must self-isolate while they await their first test result. Those who had visitors from New Brunswick do not have to quarantine while they wait for their result.
Any specialized workers from New Brunswick doing “critical urgent work” that cannot be done by anyone from the other Atlantic provinces can enter Nova Scotia to do their work, but otherwise must self-isolate.
Premier Stephen McNeil and Dr. Robert Strang at the COVID-19 update on Jan. 8, 2021. (Communications Nova Scotia)
Most restrictions remain in place until Jan. 24
The province is also renewing its state of emergency starting at noon on Jan. 10 and lasting until noon on Jan. 24. Most of the current province-wide restrictions will remain in place for another two weeks.
“Keeping things as they are for at least two more weeks will really give us a chance to see the impact of the holidays,” Strang said adding they will continue to be cautious throughout January.
These include:
Gathering limits of 10 in your home and in the community.
Restaurants and bars stopping service by 10 p.m. and closing by 11 p.m.
Fitness facilities must operate at 50 per cent capacity and must have three metres between people for high-intensity activities, including indoor and outdoor fitness classes.
There is a maximum of 25 people for sports practices and arts rehearsals. Games, tournaments or performances are not permitted.
Social events, festivals, arts and cultural events and sports events are not allowed.
Faith gatherings, weddings and funerals can have 150 people outdoors and 50 per cent of an indoor venue’s capacity to a maximum of 100. Wedding and funeral receptions are not permitted.
There are also some easing of restrictions:
Retail businesses and malls may increase the number of customers to 50 per cent from 25 per cent capacity.
The Halifax casino, VLTs and First Nations gaming establishments can reopen.
The Halifax and Sydney casinos must follow the guidelines for licensed establishments, which includes stopping service by 10 p.m. and closing by 11 p.m. The First Nations establishments can open their regular hours since they are not licensed to serve alcohol.
Strang also reminded people about the importance of wearing masks when three metres of distance cannot be maintained, including in outdoor spaces.
He also said that applies to people who receive home care and anyone else in the home who is in close proximity to the home care worker.
2 new cases on Friday
Nova Scotia is reporting two new cases of COVID-19 on Friday.
One case is in the eastern health zone and the other in the central zone. Both cases are related to travel outside of Atlantic Canada and the people are self-isolating.
There are now 29 active cases in the province. No one is in hospital in Nova Scotia related to the virus.
Strang said on Friday that there is no sign of the COVID-19 variant appearing in Nova Scotia, but one case was sent off for testing. He said travel-related cases will automatically be tested for the variant.
Nova Scotia labs completed 1,831 tests on Thursday.
Between Jan. 3-7, there were 558 rapid tests administered at pop-up sites in Halifax.
New guidelines for music education come into effect in Nova Scotia on Monday. (Kirk Fraser/CBC News)
Public schools to reopen as planned
Schools in Nova Scotia will reopen on Monday. The evening use of school gyms for sport and community activities can resume, as long as public health orders are followed.
As well starting Monday, there will be new guidelines for music education that will allow singing and playing instruments in a modified way.
Strang said that includes making sure physical distancing is in place, limiting the time playing and the number of students in class.
He said people raised legitimate concerns about sports and arts being allowed, but not music.
But Strang said any sports or arts activities that involve connections between schools are not resuming right now.
University testing IDs 2 COVID cases
The province is also urging post-secondary students who have returned to Nova Scotia from outside of the Atlantic provinces to book a COVID-19 test on the sixth, seventh or eighth day of their isolation, regardless if they have symptoms.
Strang said two positive COVID cases have already been found through this testing stream, which highlights its importance.
“Doing this testing along with sticking with your quarantine will make a difference in keeping our communities safe,” he said.
Students coming from New Brunswick should check with their school about any potential changes in residence accommodations related to self-isolation.
A technician places rapid COVID-19 swabs into a test tube container on Nov. 24 at Dalhousie University in Halifax. There are currently 29 active cases in the province. (Robert Short/CBC)
The appointments can be booked up to three days in advance.
Students must have self-isolated for the full two weeks even with a negative test result. They may not attend in-person classes until they have completed their isolation.
Any students experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 need to complete a self-assessment online or call 811.
No cases at Jamieson Hall
Shannex reported no new cases at Jamieson Hall, an assisted-living community in Dartmouth, N.S., after an outbreak last month.
“We are pleased to report that all resident testing at Jamieson Hall conducted earlier this week has been returned negative. One employee case was reported on December 24, 2020,” Shannex said in a release Friday.
Retesting has not revealed any additional cases of COVID-19 in the past 14 days, according to the release, and Public Health has directed that residents are no longer required to isolate in their suites. Visitors can return with precautions in place.
Atlantic Canada case numbers
The latest COVID-19 numbers from the Atlantic provinces are:
Newfoundland and Labrador reported no new cases on Friday. There are nine active cases and one person is in hospital.
New Brunswick reported 18 new cases on Friday with 143 active cases. Every zone of the province has been rolled back to the orange phase to deal with the growing number of cases.
P.E.I. reported one new case on Thursday and currently has eight active cases.
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.
