COVID-19 Updates from October 2020 – Relevant News & Information


October 28, 2020:
  • Active Cases of COVID-19: – As of Oct. 27, Nova Scotia has six active cases of COVID-19. One new cases was identified on Oct. 26. Read more.
  • Enhanced COVID-19 Testing Process for Nova Scotians: Starting today, Oct. 28, online booking for COVID-19 testing appointments is available for any Nova Scotian getting a test through primary assessment centres in the Central Zone or at the IWK Health Centre in Halifax. Read more.
October 23, 2020:
  • Active Cases of COVID-19: – As of Oct. 23, Nova Scotia has four active cases of COVID-19. No new cases were identified Thursday, Oct. 22. Read more.
  • Travel Advisory for Northern New Brunswick, Statement from Dr. Strang: New Brunswick announced today, Oct.22, further restrictions related to an outbreak of COVID-19 in the Campbellton-Restigouche region of northern New Brunswick. Read more.
October 14, 2020:
  • Active Cases of COVID-19: – As of Oct. 14, Nova Scotia has four active cases of COVID-19. No new cases were identified Tuesday, Oct. 13. Read more.
  • No plans for border restrictions amid NB COVID-19 outbreaks: Nova Scotia has no plans to impose border restrictions following two COVID-19 outbreaks in neighbouring New Brunswick, Premier Stephen McNeil said Wednesday. Read more.
  • COVID Alert App Available in Nova Scotia: Health Canada’s free COVID Alert App is now active in Nova Scotia. People using the app will be able to receive COVID-19 exposure alerts directly to their smartphones. Read the news release in English or French.
  • New partnership to support COVID-19 testing for essential work and travel: The Nova Scotia Health Authority has announced a new partnership with PRAXES to conduct COVID-19 testing for essential travel purposes only. Read the news release.
  • Government Announces New, Targeted Support to Help Businesses Through Pandemic: The government announced plans to introduce legislation to provide support that would help these businesses safely get through the second wave of the virus and the winter, cover costs so they can continue to serve their communities, and be positioned for a strong recovery. Read more.
  • Surety Association of Canada Continues to Recommend Digital Bonds During COVID-19 Pandemic & Beyond: Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, there has been a need for dramatic shifts in the methods for the distribution of surety bonds, more specifically for construction projects and service/maintenance contracts. On October 6, the Surety Association of Canada (SAC) reiterated this best practice and released a white paper that provides a detailed overview of digital bonds, including the requirement for such bonds to meet the three threshold criteria identified by SAC as essential to any legitimate digital bond. Read more.

October 7, 2020:
  • Active Cases of COVID-19: – As of Oct. 7, Nova Scotia has three active cases of COVID-19. No new cases were identified Tuesday, Oct. 6. Read more. 
  • More Improvements in COVID-19 Testing for Nova Scotians: Premier Stephen McNeil announced today, Oct. 6, that the province is increasing its capacity to test Nova Scotians with symptoms of COVID-19 as quickly as possible. Read more.
  • COVID-19 Online Assessment Tool: You can now do a COVID-19 self-assessment online instead of calling 811. It is a faster option to get screened for testing. 811 will continue to take calls from people who cannot access the online self-assessment or who wish to speak with a nurse about their symptoms.
  • COVID-19 Exceptions for Specialized Workers: As of Sept. 25, the process for business exceptions for “specialized workers” has changed. When there is urgent and critical work in Nova Scotia that requires specialized skills that are unavailable in Atlantic Canada, the Province will allow workers with those specialized skills to come from outside the region to do the work. Read the full details and requirements here.