COVID-19: Here’s what’s cancelled or closed

With the number of COVID-19 cases climbing in the Central Zone, a number of new restrictions are coming to the Halifax area. 

New restrictions came into force on Thursday, Nov. 26, and continue until at least Dec. 16, with the possibility of an extension.

The protocols are in place for the western half of HRM, from Hubbards up to and including Porters Lake. They also impact Elmsdale, Enfield and Mount Uniacke in Hants County.

With the exception of households, the gathering limit is currently 5 people and enforcement will be stepped up for illegal gatherings. The fine for violating the Health Protection Act is $1,000.

Non-medical masks are required in the common areas of apartment buildings and condos.

Here is running list of cancellations, closures or postponements in the Halifax area. If you would like your notice added to this list, please contact news@halifaxtoday.ca. You can find more detailed information about the restrictions on the province's website.

EDUCATION:

Shannon Park Elementary in Dartmouth will remain closed to students until Monday, Dec. 14. Students will learn from home during the closure.

Ian Forsyth is closed to students until at least Thursday, December 10.

Park West School is closed to students until at least Thursday, Dec. 10, with an update expected Wednesday, Dec. 9. Students will learn from home during the closure. As a precautionary measure, the offsite Park West pre-primary location will also be closed until Dec. 10.

There will be no extracurricular activities between schools.

Schools, after-school programs and childcare remain open.

BUSINESS/RETAIL:

All restaurants and licenced establishments are closed for in-person dining, but many are open for take-out or delivery. Call or check social media for a specific business's status.

Retail stores are required to restrict shoppers and staff to 25 per cent or less of the allowable capacity.

Wineries, distilleries and breweries cannot hold tastings or in-person dining and must follow retail rules in their stores. Delivery and curbside pickup are allowed. Call or check social media for a specific business's status.

Fitness establishments, like gyms, yoga studios and climbing facilities, must close. Some may be offering virtual classes.

Hairstylists, estheticians and nail salons in western and central HRM can stay open, but can't do any procedures that require a customer to take off their mask.

SPORTS, ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT:

Christmas at the Forum has closed for the remainder of the season. Tickets will be refunded, or there's also an option to donate the proceeds to Feed Nova Scotia.

There will be no Halifax Mooseheads' games until after the holidays. The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League has paused all activities until Jan. 3. More details on the return to play will be made available in the next few weeks.

Neptune Theatre has cancelled its run of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. 

Organized sports, recreational, athletic, arts and cultural activities, faith-based activities are paused. In other parts of the province, sports teams are restricted to local or regional play only.

Halifax Public Libraries branches are closed for in-person services until further notice, with the exception of Sheet Harbour Public Library. All branches will offer Curbside Pick-up service during each library's regular open hours. All Book Drops remain open. Holds can be placed on physical items. Existing holds and new holds will be available for pick-up through Curbside Pick-up. 

Casino Nova Scotia in Halifax is closed.

The province says First Nations gaming establishments must close.

Museums are closed, including the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia.

There will be increased enforcement of illegal gatherings. The gathering limit within a household is no more than 5 visitors at a time. The fine for violating the Health Protection Act is $1,000.

Atlantic University Sport will not proceed with conference-sanctioned regular seasons or postseasons for the remainder of the 2020-21 season and will not host any conference championships. However, AUS will allow member-driven competition for the upcoming winter semester.

MUNICIPAL EVENTS

The in-person Menorah lighting ceremony is cancelled for this year. The Menorah will be lit in Grand Parade from Friday, Dec. 11 until Friday, Dec. 18.

The in-person Dartmouth tree lighting event is cancelled for this year. In its place a variety of holiday illuminations will be on display in downtown Dartmouth throughout the month of December. 

A studio broadcast of the New Year’s Eve show will be held this year. There will be no in-person outdoor gathering due to current COVID-19 regulations.

RECREATION FACILITIES

Profit and non-profit fitness and recreational facilities are closed, this includes gyms, yoga studios and climbing facilities.

Facility bookings at all Halifax Regional Centre for Education sites for community and extracurricular school use within the affected area are cancelled. There are no changes to school bookings within the municipality that are outside the affected area. 

Rentals at municipally-owned recreation facilities, community centres, arenas and sports fields in the affected area are cancelled and all bookings are suspended.

All recreation programming at municipal recreation centres, pools and gymnasiums in the affected area is cancelled for the rest of the fall season in those facilities. 

The following recreation centres will remain open:

• Musquodoboit Harbour Recreation Centre – Rentals, fitness centre and programs
• Musquodoboit Valley Recreation Office – Programs only
• Sheet Harbour Recreation Office – Programs only

Recreation facilities within the municipality operated by community boards within the affected area are closed. Those located outside the affected area may remain open.

TRAVEL AND TRANSPORTATION:

Nova Scotians are being asked to avoid non-essential travel:

• in and out of western and central HRM (which is defined as HRM from Hubbards to, and including, Porters Lake and the communities up to Elmsdale and Mount Uniacke in Hants County – see https://novascotia.ca/coronavirus/  for boundaries).
• to other Atlantic provinces

Anyone arriving in New Brunswick will now need to self-isolate for 14 days.

All non-essential travel to and from Prince Edward Island is suspended until at least Dec. 21.

All Nova Scotians heading to Newfoundland and Labrador will have to self-isolate for 14 days upon arrival.

HEALTH CARE:

With the exception of volunteers and designated caregivers, visitors are not allowed at long-term care facilities, Adult Residential Centres and Regional Rehabilitation Centres licensed by the Department of Community Services.

The following restrictions are now in effect at long-term care facilities:

• residents can only leave their facilities for medical/dental appointments
• a registered designated caregiver can take a resident for a sight-seeing car ride but they cannot include additional passengers or stops for shopping, visits, etc., of any kind or use drive-thrus
• a facility can continue sight-seeing outings using their vehicles, but physical distancing is required, no other passengers are permitted in the vehicle and there are no stops of any kind including use of drive-thrus

Visitation for hospital inpatients in Nova Scotia Health's Central Zone facilities (which includes HRM) has been suspended, except in the following circumstances:

Two support people for:
• palliative care and other patients nearing end of life,
• patients receiving medical assistance in dying,
• children under 18 admitted to hospital and
• labour and birth.

One designated support person will be permitted for inpatients who need support due to physical, intellectual, cognitive and emotional conditions, as well as
• children under 18 in outpatient settings
• outpatients who need support to receive care while in hospital due to physical, intellectual, cognitive and emotional conditions
• those coming to a facility for early labour assessment outside of a scheduled appointment (i.e. emergency situation)