2 Atlantic provinces commit to open borders, but 1 tightens up amid COVID-19 wave
CBC
Two Atlantic premiers say they don't see the need to tighten border measures as COVID-19 cases rise across the region and country, but a third province is taking that step.
Both Tim Houston of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick's Blaine Higgs told CBC News this weekend that closing interprovincial and national borders isn't a good move.
They said most premiers across the country agreed with that point during a call this week with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about curbing the spread of the Omicron variant.
"The reality is the variant is in Nova Scotia. It's moving within Nova Scotia, so there's no point in trying to take some action to keep it out," Houston told CBC's The House on Saturday.
Houston said although Nova Scotia is seeing the highest daily case numbers of the virus ever, the right public health restrictions are in place to keep people safe, such as keeping social circles to 20 people and bringing back physical distancing indoors and outdoors.
N.S. reported 476 new cases of the virus on Sunday, but there is no current active case number available. As of Friday, seven people were in hospital, including two in intensive care.
People across Nova Scotia and throughout the country are exhausted by the pandemic, Houston said, and politicians realize they have to ensure restrictions aren't pushing people past their tipping point.
"We always want to be conscious of losing people, and having people kind of give up and say, 'Well, I'm not listening anymore because it just doesn't matter,'" Houston said.
Higgs also said that New Brunswick has no intention of closing borders to other Canadian provinces.
But Higgs told Rosemary Barton on Sunday he was happy to see that all international travellers now have to get a COVID-19 molecular test before entering Canada, given his province's proximity to Maine.
N.B. reported 108 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, bringing the total number of active cases to 1,258.
There were no new cases of Omicron reported in the province Sunday, leaving the number of Omicron cases at 30.
"Our case count is still primarily the Delta [variant,]" Higgs said. "It has been pretty consistently and stubbornly Delta [now for] several weeks."
New Brunswick's current restrictions include limiting contacts to a steady group of 20, physical distancing in public spaces, and reduced capacity at venues such as movie theatres, sporting arenas and casinos.
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