Nova Scotians prepare to enter phase 1 of reopening plan

N.S. phase one of fewer mandates begins Monday Nova Scotian's prepare to enter the first phase of the province's plan to lift public health restrictions on Monday.

On Sundays, people rarely look forward to Monday, but this work week starts with Nova Scotia’s gradual reopening, and with that comes a dose of hope.

“Hopefully this will lift people's spirits and we'll be able to, you know, navigate it in a different way than maybe we've navigated it before,” Holly Cave said.

Midnight marks the start of phase one -- the first of three phases to ease public health restrictions across the province.

As of Monday, informal gathering limits increase to 25 people, large venues such as Scotiabank Centre can welcome up to 3,000 fans, and restaurants can increase capacity to 75 per cent as long as floor plans allow for social distancing between tables.

Mask mandates and proof of vaccination requirements will continue for at least the first two phases.

“What I noticed is customers are starting to feel a little more comfortable. They're very excited about restrictions being lifted,” said Fernando Lucas, owner of Palladium Family Restaurant in Dartmouth.

Lucas also believes the announcement from the province to re-open has lifted people’s moods and consumer confidence.

“It's almost like people got the okay to come out. People are coming,” he said.

Regular patrons such as Brian and Ann Marie Hopkins are looking forward to seeing more friends soon.

“We will be able to get together with more people than we have in the past,” Ann Marie Hopkins said.

Philip Holmans owns World Tea House on Argyle Street.

Phase one lifts capacity limits on stores but still requires social distancing.

“Maybe a couple more seats at the bar cause we have a tea bar,” he said, “we’ll be doing more sampling and stuff like that so people can come in and try the teas again.”

According to Nova Scotia’s Public Health, 76 people are in hospital who were admitted due to COVID-19 and are receiving specialized care in a COVID-19 designated unit.There are 13 people in ICU. The age range of those in hospital is 9-93 years old, and the median age is 66. Of the 76 people in hospital, 71 were admitted during the Omicron wave.

There are also two other groups of people in hospital related to COVID-19:

Kevin Penny is immunocompromised. He said fewer restrictions is bittersweet.

“I have difficulty breathing so I have to be extra careful. It's a bit concerning but hopefully people will obey the rules and still continue to move forward,” Penny said.