Non-essential travel won’t be expanded for the Christmas and Holiday season, said Chief Medical Officer for Health, Dr. Janice Fitzgerald yesterday.
Some families have been eagerly waiting for news for weeks, as Fitzgerald and the public health team considered the options and risks of allowing non-essential travelers outside the Atlantic Bubble into the province.
With second waves of COVID-19 hitting other provinces and parts of the world, it’s the wrong time to open NL’s border, as its been the closure that has helped prevention of the virus.
“It would be the wrong decision right now for us to open up non-essential travel as of jurisdictions tighten their restrictions in an effort to control the spread of COVID-19, said Fitzgerald.
“We know many families have been separated for 7 months now, and we have seen the toll the separation is having on the mental health of many of our residents. We encourage everyone that need support to reach out for help.
When asked if people who are willing to isolate for 14 days upon arrival could be allowed in, Fitzgerald said, the issue is not about a single person, but about a lot of people entering the province, and case numbers in other provinces are much higher than when the province first issued its travel restrictions orders in May.
This means students who are taking in-person classes at schools outside the Atlantic Bubble will remain locked out for Christmas and recognizes that situation is difficult, but it has been a difficult year.