Good evening everyone,
Today, the Nova Scotia government announced that the province will transition into a modified Phase 5 on Monday, Oct. 4. To read the complete news release from the province, please click here.
Phase 5 of Nova Scotia’s reopening plan begins cautiously. While some restrictions will be lifted, others will be maintained:
- Masks, for example, will continue to be mandatory in public places. So in hockey, our mask policy will remain the same as it was in Phase 4: On the ice, masks are not required during practices, training sessions, and games. Off the ice, masks will be required. Please note that coaches and instructors who work with more than one group must wear a mask at all times while inside the facility (including while on the ice).
- Physical distancing and gathering limits for events hosted by a recognized business or organization will be lifted.
- Proof of full vaccination will be required for non-essential events and activities (including all Hockey Nova Scotia-sanctioned events and activities).
We just received the update below on proof of full vaccination from Sport Nova Scotia. You will also find the province’s COVID-19 Protocol for Proof of Full Vaccination for Events and Activities here.
Over the next few days, we will be updating our Rebound Plan to reflect this cautious move to Phase 5 and the newly released COVID-19 Protocol for Proof of Full Vaccination for Events and Activities.
We will pass along any updates as soon as we receive them.
Thank you for all that you do.
Arnie Farrell
President
Hockey Nova Scotia
Amy Walsh
Executive Director
Hockey Nova Scotia
Dear provincial sport organizations,
Please see the Province’s overview about phase 5 below. We believe that the links provided will address many of your questions. Additionally, we hope to have an updated sport-specific FAQ shortly- we will share it when it’s available. If you have any questions in the meantime, please contact Jamie Ferguson at jferguson@sportnovascotia.ca.
Thanks,
SNS Communications
Good afternoon,
Premier Houston, Minister Thompson, and Dr. Strang, Nova Scotia’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, are announcing the final details of Nova Scotia’s proof of full vaccination protocol, which goes into effect as Phase 5 begins on Monday, October 4.
Proof of Full Vaccination
Anyone age 12 or older who is not fully vaccinated will not be able to access discretionary, recreational, or non-essential activities, with minimal exceptions. We encourage everyone to carefully read the proof of full vaccination protocol.
We also thank everyone who provided insight and input on operational considerations and resources that will be helpful as your sector and organization implements the protocol. We want to highlight a few changes and areas of additional clarification that have been made based on conversations with people in many sectors in the past week:
· Proof of vaccination will be required for dining in at food establishments, including fast food restaurants and coffee shops, but not for take-out, delivery, drive-through or food courts.
· Proof of vaccination is not required for general access to public libraries (to do things such as borrow books and use computers). However, people will need to show proof of vaccination to participate in public library programs.
· Legislatively required meetings where people have a democratic right to participate, such as municipal council meetings where citizens can present, do not require proof of vaccination.
· Proof of full vaccination is not required for full-time or part-time staff of businesses and organizations that host events and activities that are subject to the protocol. It is required for volunteers who host, lead, or organize these events and activities. A list of the events and activities is in section 3.1 of the protocol.
· Businesses and organizations are not able to keep records of people’s proof of vaccination without their consent because it is private health information. However, they can get consent from people to keep this information. A template consent form is available in the guide for businesses and organizations that will need to check for proof of full vaccination. More information is in section 2.4 of the protocol.
Proof of Full Vaccination Resources
To help support your organization and staff in implementing the proof of full vaccination protocol, the following resources are (or will soon be) available:
· Proof of full vaccination required signage
· Consent form for recording vaccination status (see Appendix B)
· How to access Nova Scotia COVID-19 Proof of Vaccination
· Guide for participants at events and activities requiring proof of full vaccination
· Guide for businesses and organizations to check proof of full vaccination
· Nova Scotia coronavirus website
· Nova Scotia Health Protection Act Order (will reflect phase 5 updates on October 4)
· Skills Online NS offers free online training courses that may help your business/organization manage challenging situations.
We ask you to share the information and resources with your members and other organizations that will need to check for proof of vaccination.
Phase 5 Update
Phase 5 will start on October 4 with a cautious approach. Most restrictions will be lifted while some will remain in place.
· There will no longer be a requirement for physical distance.
· There will no longer be gathering limits for events hosted by a business organization. The informal gathering limits of 25 people indoors and 50 outdoors will remain in place.
· Masks will still be required in indoor public places.
· As noted above, the proof of full vaccination requirement will start October 4.
· Current border restrictions will remain in place and be expanded to include people coming from PEI and Newfoundland and Labrador. That means self-isolation will still be required after travel for people who aren’t fully vaccinated (at least 7 days plus 2 negative tests). International travelers will continue to follow federal requirements.
· Otherwise, the only restrictions that will remain in place for the general population are those related to management of COVID-19 cases. For example, people with symptoms must still get tested, isolate while they wait for results and continue to isolate if they test positive.
· We will be forwarding a FAQ for your organization to use. It will be sent when it is fully developed.
Thank you for your continued support. We’ll continue to keep you informed. For the most up-to-date information, visit the website.
GrayJay Sports