Residents of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick are working to create online ways to honour and mourn the 22 victims of the mass murder that took place last weekend in Cumberland and Colchester counties in Nova Scotia.
An online tribute organized by the group members at Colchester Community Cares Facebook group will take place tonight at 7pm.
CHMA will be airing special programming starting at 6pm, for listeners interested in participating in the vigil.
The Nova Scotia government has also set up a Facebook group to collect condolences online. You can find the group at novascotia.ca/condelences or on Facebook as StrongerTogetherNS.
Town of Sackville Mayor John Higham sent a letter of condolence to Cumberland county’s mayor on behalf of the town. The letter reads, in part: “Please know that our hearts are heavy with sadness and that we are thinking of your community as you move forward in the healing process.”
Mount Allison President Dr. Jean-Paul Boudreau issued a letter to the university community offering condolences to all those affected by the tragedy, and acknowledging that one of the victims, Lisa McCully, graduated from Mount Allison in 1993.
Boudreau wrote, “[Lisa’s] contributions at Mount Allison, and well as her dedication to helping others throughout her career as an educator, will be remembered fondly by all who knew her. Mount Allison alumni and the entire Allisonian community extend special condolences to Lisa’s family and friends.”
Boudreau also reminded the university community that virtual counselling is available for students through the Mt A Wellness Centre, and that faculty and staff have access through the University’s Employee Assistance Program.
Tonight starting at 6pm on CHMA, tune in for a special broadcast to honour those lost in the Nova Scotia tragedy. The tolling of the bell will be heard at 6pm followed by a selection of classical music leading to a nationwide vigil at 7pm.
Our thoughts and hearts go out to the family and friends of the victims and all those affected by the events of this terrible tragedy.
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Turning to COVID-19 news:
For the fifth day in a row, Public Health reported no new cases of COVID-19 in the province.
There remains 14 active cases of COVID-19, with five people in hospital, including one in an intensive care unit.
To date there have been 118 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the province.
Neighbouring provinces continue to see climbing numbers of COVID-19 cases, with Nova Scotia reporting 55 new cases yesterday, and Quebec reporting 873 new cases.
Premier Blaine Higgs has been alluding to an easing of restrictions in New Brunswick for the past two days, but has yet to release a detailed plan for how it will happen. At Thursday’s press conference, he warned that the lifting of restrictions will be cautious, and there may be times when restrictions are reinstated, until a new coronavirus vaccine is made available.
AUDIO CLIP Higgs 1 min 11 secs
If we move too quickly, all of the efforts we have made over the last six weeks could be lost. I must remind all new brunswickers that moving into recovery does not mean the threat of COVID-19 is gone. If we begin seeing a spike in cases it will be necessary to put restrictions back in place. In fact, we should expect that even as restrictions are slowly lifted, some may need to be reinstated down the road. We can anticipate that we will continue like this for some time until an effective vaccine is widely available. With recovery comes risk, and we need to minimize those risks. Wherever possible. We will make strategic decisions about which sectors can open and win based on several factors. We will take into consideration the risk level of each sector and their ability to implement health and safety measures within the worksite. We will also take into account the impact of different sectors on our provincial economy. I am working closely with the all party Cabinet Committee on COVID-19 and with cabinet to make these decisions
Chief medical officer of health Dr. Jennifer Russell echoed that the reopening of New Brunswick will be slow, and that most public health rules will still be in place:
AUDIO CLIP Russell 1min 54 secs
We have thus far succeeded where so many other jurisdictions have faltered. So let’s not lose that advantage that we have built over the last six weeks. And at every single stage, I have told new brunswickers that what happens next is in your hands, and I’m proud of how we have all responded to that message. But we will have to maintain our guard. The COVID-19 virus can and will take advantage of any loophole we give it. We will move forward but with appropriate caution and we will not rush in blindly. And you can assist in this process by continuing to do what you were doing. But also remember to be supportive of others. Again, everybody is dealing with the stress of this differently. So it is really, really important that we support one another. And it is also important that if we can’t do that support, provide that support that we help people get in touch with resources that can that is very, very important.
There will be a measured and methodical process to reopen our province. And we will step carefully as we go forward and I urge you to do the same. My advice to new brunswickers has been clear and consistent since the pandemic began. And it won’t change in the weeks ahead. As the restrictions now in place are slowly loosened. I will continue to ask that you stay at home as much as possible in your own home as much as you can. But also remembering that while you’re doing this to do all the healthy things that you can do at home, eat healthy exercise if you can get enough sleep, do things that are supportive in terms of helping you cope with however you need to do that. So I will continue to urge To maintain at least two meters of physical distance between yourself and others. And while physical distancing is difficult, I’ll ask you to wear a non medical mask that covers your mouth and your nose to protect you from having secretions that can infect somebody else. And I will continue to ask that you wash your hands thoroughly and regularly and frequently cleaned doorknobs and countertops in your home.
At yesterday’s conference Higgs also announced that the province is eliminating the 30-day limit on prescription refills that was put in place by the New Brunswick College of Pharmacists on March 16th, to protect the drug supply over concerns of shortages during the pandemic. The limit had the effect of tripling dispensing fees for those who rely on prescription drugs. Higgs said there are no plans to reimburse those already out of pocket for fees since March.
