‘We have much to be thankful for’: N.S. top doctor asks for safe Thanksgiving gatherings

‘We’re not fully out of the pandemic but we’ve come a long way and have much to be thankful for,’ Strang says. ‘This weekend we can gather for dinner and visits with friends and family, but let’s do that safely.’

HALIFAXtoday\ Mark Hodgins

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Nova Scotia’s top doctor is asking people to keep COVID-19 precautions in mind this Thanksgiving weekend. 

While several provinces, including New Brunswick, bring in tougher public health measures to curb potential spread over the holiday, Dr. Robert Strang says Nova Scotia is in a different situation with case numbers holding steady.

“We’re not fully out of the pandemic but we’ve come a long way and have much to be thankful for,” Strang said. “This weekend we can gather for dinner and visits with friends and family, but let’s do that safely.”

The chief medical officer of health says that includes unvaccinated people self-isolating when returning to Nova Scotia if they choose to travel out of province.

For fully vaccinated people, Strang says they should continue to abide by the gathering limit of 25 people indoors and should stay home if feeling ill.

In New Brunswick, gatherings are being limited to single household only over the weekend, and tough “circuit-breaker” measures, including restrictions on travel, are coming into effect Friday for the Moncton, Fredericton and Edmunston regions.

“We ask Nova Scotians to respect the New Brunswick travel restrictions and avoid non-essential travel to these areas of our neighbouring province,” Strang said.