The province has extended the state of emergency to May 17, but is lifting some restrictions.
At Friday’s COVID-19 update, Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Robert Strang announced the following restrictions were rescinded, effective immediately.
– Provincial and municipal parks can reopen, but playground equipment will continue to be off limits
– Trails are allowed to open
– People are allowed to use and visit community gardens
– Garden centres, nurseries and similar businesses can open
– Sportfishing is permitted from shore or boat, but fishing derbies are not allowed
– People can attend boating, yacht or sailing clubs for the purpose of preparing boats for use
– Golf driving ranges can open, including those at golf clubs, but the course must remain closed; golf clubs can perform necessary maintenance and preparations for opening
– People can use their cottages. Use is restricted to one household at a time, travel must be directly to the cottage and back, and travelling back and forth frequently from cottage and primary residence is discouraged
– Provincial and private campgrounds remain closed, but they can perform necessary maintenance and preparations for opening. An exception is RVs parked year-round at fixed site private campgrounds, which can be used but must follow the same rules as cottages
– Drive-in religious services will be allowed, but people must stay in their cars, be parked two metres apart and have no interactions including communion and collection
Dr. Strang said physical distancing, of at least six feet, and social gathering restrictions, of no more than five, remain in place.
“Our ability to open things up further will depend on how we do with these initial restrictions, and how well Nova Scotians comply with those,” he said. “It’s really important that we do this slowly and carefully, the last thing we want to do is undo the progress, undermine all the hard work and the sacrifice, people have made.”
Dr. Strang announced one death from COVID-19 and 12 new cases Friday.
