Photo from a home on Tower Road contributed by Thea Smith.

This update was posted morning of March 30, 2020. The situation is changing by the hour. Please check the Canada, Nova Scotia and Halifax websites for the most up to date information.

The information below no longer entirely up to date. All relevant info from these updates has been compiled into my COVID-19 resources website, with information on current Government Response, Individuals & Families, Business as well as Links to Resources including key social media to follow.



Hi folks, very short update today. I’m going to be reformatting all the information I’ve collected to as a one stop microsite, and that is eating up most of my time today.

I’m also going to move these update emails to late afternoon, after the three orders of government do the updates for the day.

I and other have said before that to be effective, it will look like we are overreacting. We are going to look like we are overreacting. This does not mean people should take direction lightly!

WE NOW HAVE CONFIRMED COMMUNITY SPREAD IN NOVA SCOTIA

Right now some people are still taking risks:

walking dogs or running kids in parks – all parks are closed, including school yards

a path in a park is not an AT trail for getting around, so paths in Point Pleasant and all parks are closed.

teenagers and young adults especially are were out yesterday playing hockey, basketball, or hanging out, not respecting the 2m rule

some folks are violating their 14 day self isolation, and these cases will be ticketed

Premier McNeil did not say you can use a park if you can walk to it, he said you can use a trail, an active transportation trail, but only if you can walk to it. So no one should be in HRM or provincial parks, the provincial order is clear and has the force of law. You may be ticketed and/or have your car seized, so stay at home.

Re-enforce with your children, especially teens who you may be trusting to maintain physical distancing if you allow them out with their friends, that this is very serious, and must be done for the everyone’s safety.

Again:

do wash your hands with soap and warm water very frequently

wash your hands with soap and warm water very frequently do physical (social) distance – stand 2m or more away from people in the streets, shops, and work

physical (social) distance – stand 2m or more away from people in the streets, shops, and work do not socialize in groups greater than 5 (not that this means you should meet for non-essential reasons)

socialize in groups greater than 5 (not that this means you should meet for non-essential reasons) do not leave your home unless it is to go to work, or obtain necessary supplies, or to exercise (walk around your neighborhood)

leave your home unless it is to go to work, or obtain necessary supplies, or to exercise (walk around your neighborhood) do not go to a park to exercise or walk your dog (school yards and playgrounds are parks)

go to a park to exercise or walk your dog (school yards and playgrounds are parks) do not call 811 unless you meet the criteria

call 811 unless you meet the criteria do not leave your home for any reason for 14 days if you have traveled outside the province (domestic or international)

We are at a critical juncture. What we are doing appears to be working :

Two weeks since our first case and NS is looking pretty good. Based on the first 10 days of growth we should have almost double the number of cases that we have now. If we keep staying inside and #SocialDistancing, we may actually win this battle. Stay strong NS. From Christopher Alger

If we want to avoid the horror of New York City, Wuhan or the Lombardy region of Italy, we need to follow the instructions of the Medical Officer of Health, and obey the orders under the state of emergency.

Please be safe, follow instructions, and wash your hands!

Canadian Economic Dashboard

Statistics Canada recently released the Canadian Economic Dashboard and COVID-19.

In response to an urgent need to provide information on the economic impacts of COVID-19, the new dashboard provides 16 indicators to help monitor the impact of the pandemic on economic activity in Canada.

These indicators are taken from a range of monthly data programs—real gross domestic product, consumer prices, employment, merchandise exports and imports, retail sales, hours worked, manufacturing sales, air and railway transportation, and travel.

The dashboard will be updated as new data and analysis become available. More indicators may be added to the dashboard to provide additional timely measures and a more comprehensive picture of the rapidly-evolving situation.

Nova Scotia’s healthcare heroes

Nova Scotia’s healthcare heroes are showing extraordinary care and commitment under unprecedented circumstances and many businesses are showing up as ‘helpers’ with offerings to make life a little easier for them during the COVID-19 pandemic. To amplify these neighbourly and generous offerings, Partners for Care (PFC) is launching a website that lists the various services and products that are convenient, discounted or free for our healthcare workers across Nova Scotia.

Businesses with offerings are asked to email partnersforcare@nshealth.ca with their business name, contact information (phone and email), a brief description of their offering, and how the healthcare hero can redeem their offer (e.g. website link, code, showing NSHA ID badge, etc.)

Note: Offers of personal protective equipment are being managed through a separate process and channel. Companies with offers of personal protective equipment should reach out to PPEOffer@nshealth.ca

New social media to follow – Central Zone Public Health