Oddly, they seem very set on this plan where even if one is fully vaccinated, you need a test before returning to Canada AND after entering.
Well, the Nova Scotia Premier seems to have set off a shit show. About 10 hours before the Atlantic bubble was set to open he announces that due to our policy of allowing the rest of Canada entry to NB without isolating as long as they have one dose of vaccine, NS will not let NB join their bubble. If you have one shot you need to isolate for 8 days and have 2 negative tests. If you are 14 days past your second shot you must take a Covid test in NS and isolate until results are in.
I can somewhat understand that you don’t agree with the NB isolation requirements for travelers from the rest of Canada but this has been our policy since we entered phase 2 of our reopening last week. It was originally published as part of our goal for July 2nd but we hit our vaccination targets early. If this was really that big a deal they’ve had a week to update the policy and let us know. A lot of people booked vacations and made plans based on having an Atlantic bubble as of June 23.
I’m not sure if I’m more ticked off at Rankin for making the announcement so close to the date or by Higgs who decided the timetable for opening to the rest of the country without regard for how the other Atlantic provinces would react.
I appreciate why they started doing the bubble, but the fact this “everyone in Canada can fuck off” thing is unconstitutional on its face, and given that most of the country is vaccinated, it can no longer be seriously argued to be a reasonable limitation of the Charter. It’s an offense against both the letter of the law and its spirit, and it’s time for it to end. We are one nation, not thirteen.
You can enter NB with no restrictions as long as you have had one shot. If you are not vaccinated you will need to quarantine for 14 days. The policies were updated once we had 75% of the province with one dose and 29% of 65+ with 2 doses. We are on track to have all restrictions lifted once 75% of the province has 2 doses.
Given how well NB has come through the past 18 months I’m not too upset with the actions that public health has taken.
Given the recent outbreak that NS just went through due to an ON family not following quarantine procedures I can’t really fault then for being cautious about opening and starting June 30 they are letting Canada in with reduced quarantine based on vaccination status.
But Nova Scotia doesn’t allow this. I’d also suggest every province should have to state at what point all mobility restrictions will be lifted. Specifics are needed; violations of Charter freedoms must be very, very well justified and come with specific limits.
Both NS and NB have published their plans. Here is NS.
Five days earlier than planned for Ontario. I’m genuinely stunned. I was pretty sure Doug Ford, for once in his life, was going to listen to the province’s top doctors and adhere to the 21-day gap between stages. Really hoping it doesn’t come to that, but if there’s a sudden surge, related to the re-openings or not), he’s going to take the heat for it.
Having said that, I’m glad that movie theatres are opening even with 50% capacity, which is loads more than there was when I saw Tenet last summer. And I know my dad’s been dying to eat at a restaurant since forever (I may hold off on that one).
Cases may spike but the key is hospitalizations and ICU loading. We seem to be ahead of the expected vaccination rate and R has consistently been below 1 for a bit now. Ontario COVID-19 Data Tool | Public Health Ontario
5 days I think is just under the doubling period for this thing (or halving period at this point I guess). If so, and cases are low, cutting 180 to 90 cases over 5 days (~450 cases) may not be a significant impact and so expanding activities might be alright.
Alberta has been completely open since Jul 1. Case numbers are down to 23 new yesterday. The last day of lockdown we had 47, and the 7 day moving average is 51. So cases are still trending down, although 9 days is probably about the earliest you would see new cases show up in the data. The next week or two should really give us an indication.
My guess is that we will see small case counts for the rest of the summer, but we could see another wave in the fall as temps drop.
I’d be cautious with buffets, but most restaurants are pretty careful when it comes to hygiene. Buffets are great if you need to build up your immune system.
In Alberta we are at 74% partially vaccinated and 56% fully vaccinated. So hopefully a resurgence in fall will not be great because of the vaccine.
I will be going to a wedding in August where I know 2 of the people attending are anti-vaxxers. They are so far down the rabbit hole, that they think people who have been vaccinated are sluffing off dangerous particles (viruses?). Sigh.
With any luck you can tell them that you are sluffing like crazy, and they’d better mask up and avoid you at all costs.
Just for clarity, I’ll point out that these numbers are for the population 12 and up. Different sites quote different numbers - some are percentage of the entire population, and others are percentage of the eligible (12 and up) population. I think the first one (yours) is most important.
I suppose telling them you’ll hold their keys and then make the keys stick to your neck would be a bit much for a wedding?
That’s right. You’re one of the viral
shedders in their world.
You guys have no idea, lol. The anti-vaxxers are my cousins and I love them and they are good people. But they have drunk the Kool-aid. They practically begged us not to get vaccinated. They have a thousand sources to back-up their claims, always garbage when I am convinced to check them (probably 20 years of the Dope has made me better at sources).
They believe there are computer chips in the vaccine and it is a plot to control and kill us - how would that work? They texted me that masks have engineered nano worms in them. It would be funny if not for their kids. But I am as unlikely to change their minds, as they are to change mine.
No kidding. That’s not just “drunk the Kool-aid”, that’s full blown nutty delusional stuff right there. That’s right up with believing that Shape-shifting Lizard People have taken over and are running government. I would avoid them at all costs - there is no telling what the voices in their heads will tell them to do next.
This is true. Notwithstanding bad arguments.
But not notwithstanding the Notwithstanding Clause. Mobility rights are guaranteed by Section 6 of the Charter, and the NC only allows provinces to override rights guaranteed by Sections 2 and 7-15.
Not sure if you were winking at the NC with that post or not.
Just today they came out and said they expect exactly that.
The vaccines are working, but people getting outside has a significant impact too. The virus doesn’t spread much outside. Inside it spreads like wildfire.