Nova Scotia border restrictions to New Brunswick

RossKean

Well-Known Member
I wonder if people in Nova Scotia are as pissed off at NS Premier Iain Rankin and Dr. Robert Strang as people in New Brunswick are?

Arbitrarily and without warning, he blocked New Brunswickers from entering Nova Scotia as part of the Atlantic bubble - the day before the bubble was scheduled to be opened to all Atlantic Canadians. Just because NB did as they said they would do in their Phase II opening plan which required 75% of the eligible population vaccinated and 20% of people over 65 with two doses. (Rankin knew we reached the milestone almost a week earlier and was aware of NB's plan over a month ago.) Phase II happened a bit earlier than expected. The NB plan allows vaccinated individuals from the rest of Canada to enter the province - NS doesn't allow that until June 30 and NB is now apparently included with the rest of the country.

I think Rankin is having a snit because NB was discussing opening earlier to people from Cumberland county (Amherst area) before opening to the Central region which suffered the vast majority of the cases in the recent outbreak. A lot of people in Cumberland county have friends and relatives in southern NB and there was pressure to open this as early as it was deemed safe to do so. Rankin has an election coming up in the reasonably near future and I think he is trying to show how tough he is - especially after the province dropped the ball so badly with their two month outbreak that had 4,000 cases between late April and now. Personally, I think he is looking like an idiot and think people will remember at election time. Note: Rankin took over from Stephen McNeil after McNeil resigned last February - he was not elected premier.

NB hardly poses a COVID danger to NS - only 40% of total number of cases and half the number on a per capita basis since the beginning. Even after Premier Higgs agreed to share information collected at NB's northern border regarding travelers from the rest of Canada, Rankin would not back down except to make an exception for NB citizens who have had their second dose more than two weeks prior and provide documentation at the border. So much for no requirement for domestic vaccine passports.

Neither PEI nor Newfoundland have imposed any restrictions unique to people from New Brunswick.

This is just me venting at the situation - doesn't belong in the COVID-specific thread.
 
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