Enjoying Thanksgiving Safely

USPA NEWS - On Friday, October 9th, 2020 there were no new cases of COVID-19 in Nova Scotia. Currently there are 3 active cases in the province. Since the beginning of the pandemic there have been 1,089 positive cases, 65 deaths due to the COVID-19 virus and  1,021 cases have been resolved. Out of the 3 cases that are active, 1 is hospitalized in ICU.

While many jurisdictions in Canada located outside of the Atlantic Bubble are seeing a rapidly growing spike in COVID-19 cases, which is thought to be the second wave of the deadly virus, Nova Scotia numbers remain low. As Nova Scotians prepare for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, the provincial government is reminding citizens that Thanksgiving will  look  different this year as the public health guidelines must still be practiced throughout this time of reflection and celebration with family and friends. In efforts to keep the COVID-19 cases low, officials are urging everyone not to become complacent and to remember that social gatherings are still limited to 10 people without physical distancing.  Nova Scotians are strongly encouraged to celebrate Thanksgiving with family and friends from their consistent group of 10.

Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia's Chief Medical Officer said in a statement, " Nova Scotians have made changes to their daily lives to help reduce the spread of COVID-19, and it's no different for Thanksgiving.  When deciding who to invite, consider the impacts on family and friends who may be more vulnerable and adjust your Thanksgiving celebrations to be as safe as possible."

Anyone who travels outside of the Atlantic bubble to partake in Thankgiving festivities  is required to self-isolate for 14 days upon their return. This includes residents and as well students studying in Nova Scotia from outside of the Atlantic Canada. It remains important for Nova Scotians to strictly adhere to the public health order and directives - practise good hand washing and other hygiene steps, maintain six feet of physical distance when and where required.

Here are a few other tips for Thanksgiving gatherings: Do not host guests who are feeling unwell or are self-isolating for any reason; you can send a meal home for them. Regularly clean while preparing food and disinfect other high touch surface areas in the household such as washrooms, doorknobs, countertops, tables, chairs, etc. Consider ways  to make food service more COVID-safe. For example, designate one person to prepare plates instead of passing around bowls and platters with common utensils. Although Nova Scotia has very low COVID-19 at this time, officials say that the current Public Health orders and guidelines can and will change as epidemiology warrants. For the latest information on COVID-19 in Nova Scotia visit  https://novascotia.ca/coronavirus .