Voluntary Airport Testing for Travellers, Changes to Self-isolation Requirements for Vaccinated Rotational Workers

Starting June 8, travellers flying into Nova Scotia can receive a COVID-19 test kit at the Halifax Stanfield International Airport.

Travellers who arrive at the airport will be provided with a kit and instructions to complete their self-swab. Nova Scotia Health Authority staff will be onsite daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. to swab anyone who is unable to self-swab or needs support.

Travellers who arrive between 8 p.m. and 10 a.m. will take their self-swab kit to their self-isolation location to complete there. The swab must be completed within 48 hours of arriving in the province and can be dropped off at a primary assessment centres.

The self-swab kit is a PCR test - a lab-based test similar to the one used at primary assessment centres. People will receive results by phone or email within 72 hours of dropping it off.

The new testing option at the airport does not replace the need to self-isolate upon arrival into the province. Even if a traveller’s test comes back negative, the person must complete the required self-isolation.

“COVID-19 testing is an important part of Nova Scotia’s reopening plan,” said Premier Iain Rankin. “I’m pleased that we are now in a position to offer testing at the Halifax Stanfield International Airport. Screening people as soon as they enter the province will help us quickly identify and respond to cases.”

Also effective June 8, there will be changes to self-isolation requirements for rotational workers based on vaccine status.

Rotational workers who have no symptoms and have been fully vaccinated at least two weeks before arriving in Nova Scotia will no longer need to self-isolate. They must get tested on day one or two, again on day five or six, and again on day 12,13 or 14.

Rotational workers will be asked to identify their vaccination status while completing the Nova Scotia Safe Check-in application. The border approval team will contact the applicant the following day to request proof of vaccination.

Partially vaccinated workers who received one dose of vaccine at least two weeks before arriving in Nova Scotia still need to self-isolate for at least seven days. If they are coming from an outbreak site, they must isolate completely until they get their second negative test result and then they can stop isolating after day seven. If they are not coming from an outbreak site, partially vaccinated workers must isolate completely until they get their first test result and then they can switch to modified isolation. After their second negative test result, they can stop isolating after day seven.

There is no change to the self-isolation requirement for rotational workers who are not vaccinated.

As always, rotational workers must monitor themselves for symptoms. If they develop symptoms, they must self-isolate and book a COVID-19 test.

“Rotational workers and their families have been significantly impacted by the pandemic,” said Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia’s chief medical officer of health. “We know repeated self-isolation is hard on rotational workers, but it was a necessary precaution. It helps ensure the safety of the workers, their loved ones and their community, and it still does. We’re now able to confidently ease the self-isolation restrictions for vaccinated rotational workers who receive a negative test result.”

Quick Facts:

• anyone aged five and older will be able to participate in the airport testing
• specialized workers and temporary foreign workers need to get tested on day one or two of their self-isolation; if they’re still in Nova Scotia, they need to get tested again on day six, seven or eight and day 12, 13 or 14
• all other travellers should get tested on day one or two of their self-isolation; if they’re still in Nova Scotia, they should get tested again on day 12, 13 or 14

Additional Resources:

A list of the primary assessment centre locations and hours can be found online at: https://www.nshealth.ca/coronavirustesting

Nova Scotia coronavirus website: https://novascotia.ca/coronavirus/

Government of Canada: https://canada.ca/coronavirus or 1-833-784-4397 (toll-free)

Nova’s Scotia’s five-phase reopening plan, announced May 28, 2021: https://novascotia.ca/coronavirus/docs/reopening-safely-with-COVID-19-plan-overview.pdf

For more information about COVID-19 testing and online booking, visit <https://novascotia.ca/coronavirus/symptoms-and-testing/<br> clear='all'/> The COVID-19 self-assessment is at https://covid-self-assessment.novascotia.ca/

Nova Scotia Safe Check-in form: https://travel-declaration.novascotia.ca/en

Rotational worker directive: https://novascotia.ca/coronavirus/docs/COVID-19-Directive-on-Exceptions-for-Rotational-Workers.pdf

More information on what is considered essential travel is available here: https://novascotia.ca/coronavirus/travel/#from-outside-atlantic-canada

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