Community group urges Nova Scotia political parties to put COVID-19 on the agenda this election season

12 November 2024 – PDF version

Protect Our Province Nova Scotia (PoPNS), a citizen’s group, today (November 12) called on provincial leaders to acknowledge how the COVID-19 pandemic continues to harm Nova Scotians and undermine the health-care and education systems – and to include real solutions in their election platforms.

The group issued a statement asking government to launch new education campaigns about Long COVID, vaccination, and the dangers of repeat infection; ensure all workers have at least 10 paid sick days per year; strengthen indoor air quality standards, especially in schools, long-term care facilities, and correctional centres; amend the school absence reporting system to fulfill the requirements of the Health Protection Act and Education Act; and educate health-care workers and teachers about the risks of COVID-19 and the importance of providing accessible services – as required by the Accessibility Act and the Inclusive Education Policy.

“The government’s unwillingness to acknowledge the effects of the pandemic continues to harm Nova Scotians,” said Susan Joudrey, a spokesperson for PoPNS. “A lack of infection control allows COVID and other opportunistic infections to spread unmitigated in schools, health care, and other workplaces. This is completely unsustainable, and violates key legislation including the Education Act, Occupational Health and Safety Act, and Health Protection Act. We need a commitment from the parties that they have plans for real change.”

The full statement is available on the PoPNS homepage (www.popns.org).

Related files

• Statement on the 2024 Provincial Election (12 November 2024)