The Current Situation on Cape Breton Island

Last updated: January 14th, 2020

The global tourism industry is based on interactions with other people. This is especially so on Cape Breton Island where a spirit of hospitality is in our DNA. We love to welcome visitors, but public safety is paramount at this time. As a result, we want to provide you with factual and up-to-date information about the situation on Cape Breton Island.

 As of January 13th, Nova Scotia’s Eastern Zone, which includes Cape Breton, has 5 confirmed cases of Covid-19. The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) is actively monitoring the current outbreak and working with the World Health Organization along with other international partners.

Covid Limits & Symptoms

The following gathering restrictions are in place:

• Households can have gatherings up to 10 people in their home including people who live there without social distancing (if your household is more than 10 people you can’t have any visitors); when you go into the community, your household can stay together without social distancing no matter how many people are in the household – when shopping, try to have 1 person from your household go into a store to help keep customers and staff safe.
• Gathering limit for close social groups – you can form a close social group of up to 10 people without social distancing; you should try to keep this group consistent.
• Businesses and organizations are not permitted to host in-person events and activities (indoors or outdoors), including:
  • arts and culture events
  • sports events (recreational, amateur, and professional)
  • festivals
  • special events
  • social events
  • wedding and funeral receptions
• Indoor gathering limit with social distancing for faith gatherings, wedding ceremonies, and funeral services that are run by a recognized business or organization – 50% of the venue’s capacity up to 100 people maximum indoors (receptions and visitation are not permitted).
• Outdoor gathering limit with social distancing for faith gatherings, wedding ceremonies, and funeral services that are run by a recognized business or organization – 150 people maximum outdoors (receptions and visitation are not permitted).
• Gathering limit without social distancing for participants and officials in organized performing arts (excluding singing and playing brass or wind instruments) and sports – participants and officials in performing arts and sports (recreational, amateur, and professional) can gather in groups of up to 25 people without social distancing for practices and rehearsals; competitions, games, tournaments, performances, and spectators are not permitted.
• Gathering limit for businesses and organizations that can’t maintain a physical distance of 2 meters (6 feet) because their physical space is too small – 10 customers or clients maximum without social distancing (keep as much social distancing as possible).

Symptoms

Symptoms may vary from person to person and in different age groups. Symptoms may take up to 14 days to appear after exposure to COVID-19. The severity of COVID-19 symptoms can range from mild to severe, and in some cases, can lead to death. Current information suggests most people don’t experience severe illness or need to be hospitalized.

Some of the more common symptoms include:

• feverish (chills, sweats)
• new or worsening cough
• sore throat
• runny nose or nasal congestion
• headache
• shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

How is this affecting the Cape Breton Island Tourism Industry

Food Services

Employers and employees need to work together to maintain a healthy workplace. Employers and employees need to work together to prevent the spread of COVID-19, protect their customers, and keep each other safe. Employers need to make sure that employees are aware of employment rules and resources. Learn more about occupational health and safety guidance to help workplaces assess COVID-19 hazards and implement controls to reduce them.

You can find the Restaurant Association of Nova Scotia/Restaurants Canada’s Covid-19 Rapid Recovery Guide here.

Parks Canada

As of July 13th, 2020, National Historic Sites have been able to reopen with limited visitor services. Locations may reduce the number of visitors allowed to enter at one time to ensure physical distancing. Please note that some buildings and lounging areas inside the historic sites will remain closed during this time.

Canadians are encouraged to stay in their own communities and avoid non-essential travel. This is a great time to explore natural and cultural treasures close to home. Try visiting less popular parks and sites. Go early in the morning or later in the afternoon. You can also enjoy Parks Canada places from the comfort of home, using Google Street View and our 360 video gallery. To learn more about visiting Parks Canada locations during COVID-19 click here or see the FAQ link below.

Events and Conferences

While we do not yet know the full impact this outbreak will have on the 2021 tourism season on the Island, but it has already had a significant effect on the recent 2020 season:

• The Team Japan training camp that was to take place in Port Hawkesbury in advance of the IIHF Women’s World Cup has been postponed to 2021;
• Science Atlantic conferences and Psychology of Language Learning conference at Cape Breton University have been canceled;
• The Nova Scotia Federation of Municipalities has canceled its spring conference which was scheduled for May in Sydney;
• The cruise season has been delayed until October 31, 2020;
• The Vince Ryan Memorial Hockey Tournament and the Wallace Bernard Memorial Native Youth Hockey Tournament have been canceled;
• The Canadian National Darts Championships, both Youth and Adults, have been canceled;
• The Cabot Trail Relay has been canceled for the first time in history;
• Granville Green Concert Series has been canceled for this year;
• Senior Little League Canadian Championships have been canceled;
• National Youth Track and Field Championships have been canceled;
• Marine Atlantic Argentia-North Sydney route has been canceled for the summer season;
• Celtic Colours International Festival will be held online only for 2020; and
• Bookings are being affected.