New travel application process for people entering N.S. in effect May 14

Starting May 14, permanent residents of Nova Scotia and people travelling for essential reasons must apply in advance before they can enter the province.

Essential reasonsincludepeople who are entering the province for child custody purposes, airline crew, military, first respondersand people accessing essential health services.

Anyone who is not a permanent resident or an essential traveller is currently not allowed into the province after Nova Scotia closed its borders earlier this month amid a COVID-19 outbreak in the Halifax area.

However the province did subsequently open up a compassionate exception applicationfor people who plan to move to Nova Scotia permanently. Only people who are planning to move to Nova Scotiaon or before May 20 should apply for the exception.

"Please do not apply if you plan to move here after May 20," Nova Scotia's chief medical officer of health Dr. Robert Strang said on May 12.

"Right now we are only considering exceptions for people who need to travel before then."

People who need to write an exam in-person in Nova Scotia or want to visit an immediate family member who is nearing end of life can also apply for a compassionate exception. People who have been granted anexception do not need to apply to enter the province.

How to apply

Permanent residents and essential travellers can apply to come into the province through the Nova Scotia Safe Check-In form online, according to a news release from the Department of Health and Wellness.

"This application process means travellers will be certain before they leave that they are able to enter the province, as we limit who enters Nova Scotia to protect our citizens and health-care system from COVID-19," Premier Iain Rankin said in the release.

"People who meet our criteria to enter Nova Scotia will have no problem getting through the approval process."

Permanent residents or essential travellers who havealready completed the check-in form and received approval does not need to reapply, as long as they are travelling on or before May 19.

Starting May 20, only approvals through the new process will be accepted.

Only applications for permanent residents and people travelling for essential reasons will be considered.

Apply a week before travel

People should apply about a week before they intend to travel, and applications will be reviewed within three business days. Applications for essential travellerswill be approved automatically.

The province announced further border restrictions on May 7, barring any non-essential travelfrom outside the province, including residents from Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador who had previously been allowed to enter.

The application process does not affect the 14-day self-isolation requirement for people entering the province.

In the release, Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Robert Strangalso said Public Health is encouraging people to get tested at the beginning and end of their self-isolation periods.