**** COVID-19/HEALTH/WELLNESS/COMMUNITY/SERVICES/SENIORS Media Release
Measures to Help Vulnerable Nova Scotians
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Premier Stephen McNeil, Community Services Minister Kelly Regan and Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia’s chief medical officer of health, announced today, March 19, measures to help vulnerable Nova Scotians and to further prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the province.
Measures announced today to help vulnerable Nova Scotians include:
— investing $2.2 million so that every individual and family member on income assistance will receive an additional $50 starting Friday, March 20, to help pay for food, cleaning supplies and personal care items. People do not need to apply.
— $1 million to help Feed Nova Scotia purchase food and hire more staff
— no tenant can be evicted because their income has been impacted by COVID-19, effective immediately for the next three months
— emergency funding of $230,000 for Senior Safety Programs and Community Links to help vulnerable older adults
— university students from Nova Scotia who are still living in residences need to go home, to provide space for social distancing for those students from outside the province who are not able to travel
As announced yesterday, personal service and fitness establishments such as hair salons, barber shops, spas, nail salons, body art establishments and gyms must shut down by midnight tonight
The Nova Scotia Health Authority (NSHA) said today there was a case of low-risk public exposure to COVID-19 at two Halifax locations March 5 – 7. People who attended a high school basketball tournament at Halifax Grammar School gymnasium and the Homburg Athletic Centre gymnasium at Saint Mary’s University should closely monitor their health for COVID-19 symptoms. More information at http://www.nshealth.ca/news/nsha-advising-potential-covid-19-exposure-two-halifax-locations
Anyone who has travelled outside of Canada must self-isolate for 14 days when they return to Nova Scotia. If you have been in close contact with someone who has travelled and are experiencing fever (above 38 C) and/or new cough should complete the online questionnaire before calling 811. The online questionnaire can be found at: http://811.novascotia.ca/
Nova Scotians can find accurate, up-to-date information, handwashing posters and fact sheets at http://novascotia.ca/coronavirus .
Quick Facts:
— testing numbers are updated daily at http://novascotia.ca/coronavirus
— Nova Scotia’s Health Protection Act gives the chief medical officer of health the authority to give advice to protect public health and decrease risk to public health presented by communicable diseases such as COVID-19
Additional Resources:
Nova Scotia Health Authority: http://www.nshealth.ca
IWK Health Centre: http://www.iwk.nshealth.ca/
The Public Health Agency of Canada maintains a list of affected areas: http://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/2019-novel-coronavirus-infection/health-professionals/covid-19-affected-areas-list.html
Government of Canada: http://canada.ca/coronavirus
Government of Canada toll-free information line 1-833-784-4397
Nova Scotia Public Health offices: http://www.nshealth.ca/public-health-offices
