PoPNS calls on premier to recognize COVID-19 victims on March 21

20 March 2023

Protect Our Province Nova Scotia (PoPNS) calls on the Premier and Opposition Leaders to Observe a Moment of Silence and Offer Condolences to the Families and Friends of COVID-19 Victims When the House Reopens on March 21st 

Protect Our Province Nova Scotia (PoPNS) is marking the first anniversary of the Nova Scotia government’s decision to end all COVID-19 protections by calling on the Premier and opposition party leaders to set aside time on the first day of the Sitting to: 

• acknowledge the fact that more than 575* Nova Scotians have died from COVID-19 since protections ended on March 21, 2022;

• offer condolences to families and friends of the victims;

• observe a moment of silence; and 

• commit to doing more to help all Nova Scotians live safely with COVID-19.

To date, Nova Scotia has officially recorded 807 deaths from COVID-19, but excess death data suggest that number is likely much larger. 575 of those deaths occurred since protections ended.

“The real tragedy is that a large proportion of the people we lost this last year didn’t have to die when they did,” says Janice Brown, a retired lawyer, former civil servant, and PoPNS volunteer. “Three years into this pandemic, we know a lot more about how dangerous COVID-19 is, how it can be treated, and how its transmission can be effectively prevented. That should have meant fewer people dying of the disease last year. Instead, we witnessed the opposite, with nearly 10 times as many Nova Scotians dying of COVID-19 during the third year of the pandemic as died in either of the first two years. Unless the government changes course, we expect hundreds more will die needlessly in 2023 and beyond,” she says.

This past weekend, PoPNS sent a letter to Premier Houston, Zach Churchill and Claudia Chender urging them to reflect on the toll the pandemic has taken since public protections against COVID-19 ended on March 21, 2022. The letter notes that, in addition to a ten-fold increase in mortality, removing protections likely resulted in hundreds of thousands being infected, tens of thousands developing long-term health issues, and as-yet incalculable numbers suffering systemic injuries expected to result in long-term illness and disability. Of particular concern are the possible long-term impacts of the disease on children.

Brown adds, “To the best of our knowledge, the Premier hasn’t made a single public statement related to his government’s handling of the pandemic since April of last year - not even to acknowledge the deaths or offer his condolences. Instead, he and his government seem focused on downplaying the crisis and making good information and tools more difficult to access. It’s heartbreaking - especially for those who are grieving. We want the victims’ friends and family to know that they haven’t been forgotten, and that PoPNS is still working to persuade governments and others to do more to help Nova Scotians live safely with COVID-19.”

It’s important to note that the group is not recommending “lock downs” but rather the implementation of a range of  less-restrictive interventions which have proven helpful for mitigating the worst of COVID-19’s impacts - including improved standards for indoor air quality, required masking in essential places, broader access to vaccination, testing and treatment, more support for workers who fall ill, and improved public education. 

Brown concludes, “The best way to honour the memories of those who’ve been lost to COVID-19 is to adopt measures that will help to lessen the human toll of this pandemic and any future pandemics that may occur.”

A copy of the letter sent to the Premier and opposition leaders accompanies this release.

* Correction: There have been 682 deaths since Houston took power, and 575 since protections were lifted in March 2022.