Province reports 12 new COVID-19 cases Tuesday; active cases drop to 369

On Tuesday, Nova Scotia reported 12 new cases of COVID-19 and 91 recoveries.  There are eight new cases in Central Zone; three cases are in Eastern Zone; and one case is in Northern Zone.  So, Nova Scotia has 369 active cases of COVID-19 with 38 people in hospital, including 15 in ICU. Nova Scotia enters the first phase of its five-step COVID-19 reopening plan today.  The first step reopens schools in most of the province and allows retail stores to operate at 25 per cent capacity and restaurant patios to reopen at maximum capacity.

New Glasgow Regional Police reminding motorists to slow down as students head back to class

After a month away from school because of COVID-19 restrictions, students are heading back to school and New Glasgow Regional Police are asking drivers to slow down as the streets and crosswalks will become busier.  Police are also reminding drivers that when going through school zones during school hours, they must slow down and assume children are present. When the speed limit is 50 km/h, motorists must slow to a maximum of 30 km/h when children are present.

Here are a few tips from NGRP to help make the transition back to school safer for everyone:
• Slow Down in School Zones
• Drive Defensively
• Stop For Pedestrians (students) in Crosswalks
• Obey School Crossing Guards
• Stop for Flashing Red Lights on School Buses
• Give Yourself Extra Time
• Be Courteous at School Pick-up and Drop-off Times. Try not to block other cars or Park in School Bus or Fire Lanes.

Province to resume use of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine as second dose only

As of yesterday (Tuesday), Nova Scotia will resume the use of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine for second doses only.   The decision comes after the National Advisory Committee on Immunization updated its guidance on the interchangeability of COVID-19 vaccines.  Under that guidance, anyone who has received a first dose of AstraZeneca can now receive a second dose of AstraZeneca, Pfizer or Moderna.  Anyone who received a first dose of AstraZeneca vaccine will receive a notice by email to reschedule their second dose appointment. Notices will be issued starting this week and will continue to be sent out over the coming weeks. About 58,000 Nova Scotians received a first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine

N.S. hotels fear tourists will travel elsewhere without clear COVID-19 reopening plan

Photo credit: The Canadian Press

The Hotel Association of Nova Scotia is calling on the provincial government to set clear targets for the return of tourists from other provinces.  In an open letter, association president Megan Delaney says tourists may choose other vacation destinations if the province doesn’t include specific dates in its COVID-19 reopening plan.  Delaney says Nova Scotia hotels will have a difficult time surviving through summer without out-of-province tourists.

 

Pictou man facing attempted murder after alleged vehicle assault

RCMP have charged a 30-year-old Pictou man with attempted murder in connection with a motor vehicle collision on Saturday afternoon.  Shortly before 3:00pm, a car struck a home on Elm Dr. in Pictou.  In their investigation, Police determined that the driver had been trying to injure a person who was standing on the front porch of the home. While the driver fled, a male passenger of the car remained on scene and was treated for non-life-threatening injuries. The victim suffered minor injuries.  As Police searched the area for the driver with the help of RCMP Police Dog Services, reports came in that the driver was running naked in the woods and had broken into a home on Wallis Dr. and stolen a blanket. Shortly after, the driver was arrested without incident on Wallis St. and taken to hospital.  Patrick Jordan Anthony McClellan is charged with Attempted Murder, Dangerous Operation of a vehicle, Break and Enter, Theft, Uttering Threats, Public Nudity,  and Indecent Act.

 

Search for unmarked graves to resume at former residential school in Nova Scotia

A survivor of the largest residential school in the Maritimes says the search will continue for unmarked graves at the site north of Halifax. Dorene Bernard, a Mi’kmaq elder, confirmed Tuesday that ground-penetrating radar was used at the former Shubenacadie Indian Residential school in April and December of last year, but no graves or human remains were found. Bernard says she felt devastated when she learned last week about the 215 unmarked burial sites found at a former residential school in Kamloops, B.C., but she was not surprised by the grim discovery. She says there is an official list of 16 students who died while attending the school in Shubenacadie, but she says survivors have come forward in the past three years to provide names of more missing children. Bernard says she’s concerned that the large property has been disturbed over the years, mainly because the school burned down in the 1980s and was later replaced by a plastics plant, which is still in operation. The Department of Indian Affairs built the school in 1930 and students were taken in from all three Maritime provinces and the Restigouche Indian Reserve in Quebec before it was shut down in 1967. (The Canadian Press)

 

Nova Scotia gas prices to rise due to COVID-19 markup, energy regulatory says

Nova Scotia drivers will face higher prices at the pump on Friday after the province’s energy regulator approves a price increase to make up for a drop in sales during the pandemic. The temporary markup comes on top of a permanent increase in the retail margin on gas prices approved earlier this year, as well as federal subsidies some gas stations have received. Paul Allen, executive director of the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board, says motorists can expect to see a small increase in the price at the pump this Friday. He says the regulator is allowing gas station retailers some temporary relief for the ongoing lower sales volumes due to COVID-19 restrictions. Allen says the increase will help ensure they stay in business so gasoline and diesel will be available in local communities. Pandemic lockdowns and travel restrictions have drastically curbed demand for gasoline and diesel fuel in the province, decreasing gas station sales. (The Canadian Press)

 

Landfill vouchers now available to county residents

The Municipality of Pictou County will have landfill vouchers available to eligible rural residents beginning tomorrow. They can be picked up in person at the MOPC’s administration building at 46 Municipal Drive, Pictou from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. or they can be mailed out by calling 902-485-4311. Vouchers are available until Nov. 30.

 

Pictou County United Way announces Backpacks for Kids program for 2021

The United Way of Pictou County has announced that the Backpacks for Kids program will be returning for 2021.  The aim of the program is to provide free backpacks and school supplies to children in Pictou County living in low income situations, with the intention of making starting the September 2021 school year as barrier-free as possible.  The United Way says upcoming drop-off locations will be announced on their Facebook page throughout the summer. Donations will also be accepted during business hours at the local office -342 Stewart St., New Glasgow.