Safe Restart Agreement Response Letter: Premier of Nova Scotia

The Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, P.C, M.P.
Prime Minister of Canada
Office of the Prime Minister
Ottawa, ON
K1A 0A2

Dear Prime Minister:

To protect the health of Canadians, all governments continue to work together effectively to manage the impacts of the global COVID-19 pandemic.

As part of these ongoing collaborative efforts, I am pleased to accept additional federal resources to support critical needs over the next six to eight months through the Safe Restart Agreement (SRA). These investments will help to protect public health and safety, prepare for potential future waves of the virus, and further support the safe reopening of economies across Canada.

First Ministers recognize that the Territories face distinct challenges and circumstances, which will need to be addressed separately. First Ministers also recognize that smaller jurisdictions may require funding adjustments beyond per capita allocations.

This letter will identify how Nova Scotia will invest funds under the Safe Restart Agreement reached between Canada and Nova Scotia to reflect our understandings on shared objectives and the funding commitments made in the seven priority areas based on our understanding of the pandemic in July 2020.

Nova Scotia's specific allocation and other distribution details for each priority area are also set out and confirmed in the Appendix forming part of this correspondence.

Testing, contact tracing, and data management

The goal of this investment is to help provinces and territories reach a collective capacity to test up to 200,000 people per day across Canada, as well as to improve their contact tracing capacities.

The Government of Canada will provide $4.28 billion to support provinces and territories with the costs of increasing their capacity to conduct testing, perform contact tracing, and share public health data that will help fight the pandemic. Funding and support will also be provided to improve and modernize data management across Canada, to help all orders of government coordinate their efforts to contain the virus. Provinces and territories will also share information and data, including disaggregated data (e.g. race-based and other demographic data).

Nova Scotia has developed a robust testing, tracing and data management strategy in partnership with the office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health, the Nova Scotia Health Authority, the QEII microbiology lab, and provincial government departments.

The strategy includes measures to:

• increase testing capacity to 2,500 tests a day from the current baseline testing capacity of 1,500 tests a day
• purchase additional swabs and testing reagents to meet the increased testing capacity
• create mobile testing capacity that can reach and support rural needs, as well as increase Nova Scotia's ability to rapidly deploy resources to help contain an outbreak
• enhance testing technology and laboratory automation to help redeploy resources to meet increased capacity requirements
• invest in increased digital capacity to support the strategy
• strengthen provincial border entry control and monitoring, including expanding testing
• upgrade data management systems to improve information management, integration and analysis.

Nova Scotia intends to access federal resources to support training and contact tracing efforts as appropriate. The province is also interested in implementing the federal government's exposure notification app once it becomes available.

Health care system capacity

COVID-19 has increased the demands on health care systems across Canada and placed additional strain on mental health. This investment is intended to support the health care services and mental health supports that Canadians rely on, as each jurisdiction addresses the impacts of COVID-19.

The Government of Canada will provide $700 million to support health care system capacity to respond to a potential future wave of COVID-19. A further $500 million will address immediate needs and gaps in the support and protection of people experiencing challenges related to mental health, substance use, or homelessness. This investment will help to keep Canadians safe and healthy with the health care supports they need.

Nova Scotia health care system priorities include measures to:

• increase Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) measures in the province's health care system, including LTC facility improvements and staffing support
• continue to redeploy staff to the health care system's COVID-19 response while maintaining access to non-COVID related health care
• enhance access to virtual care
• improve digital analytics to support the collection and reporting of data
• expand public health communications and 811 screening/monitoring capacity

Mental health and addiction priorities include measures to:

• expand access to mental health services, including outreach measures and virtual mental health support for women, youth, and other at-risk populations
• support community organizations delivering mental health and outreach services
• increase access to virtual mental health support to vulnerable populations
• support mental health counselling and support during and post pandemic for long-term care workers, residents and their families
• provide COVID related mental health and addictions counselling for social services clients through community organizations
• provide increased support to harm reduction programs and addiction treatment.

Vulnerable populations

Canadians receiving long-term care, home care, and palliative care are at an increased risk of more severe cases of COVID-19. As the economy restarts, it is important to have continued protections and supports in place for seniors, and provide health and social supports to other vulnerable populations.

The Government of Canada will provide $740 million to support costs over the next six to eight months for measures aimed at controlling and preventing infections. This could include addressing non-wage related staffing issues, in long-term care, home care, and palliative care facilities and services. Funding can also be used to support other vulnerable populations.

Nova Scotia priorities include measures to:

• increase Infection Prevention and Control measures in continuing care facilities, home care settings, and justice settings
• provide access to accommodations for self-isolation of vulnerable populations during a second wave of the pandemic
• create more single room accommodation in Disability Support Residential Facilities to allow for social distancing
• ensure availability of food, cleaning supplies, transportation and family supports for our most vulnerable populations
• support community organizations to provide community-specific responses to the pandemic
• provide supports to prevent homelessness and to improve capacity for emergency shelters to help the homeless during outbreaks.

These measures will help inform discussions of health ministers on standards for supportive care, including long­term care and home care, building on work from the Common Statement of Principles on Shared Health Priorities and recent studies and reports.

Municipalities and transit

Municipalities are on the front lines of a safe restart of the economy, and need to continue to put in place appropriate precautions to minimize the spread of COVID-19 and manage public spaces and critical services, like public transit.

The Government of Canada will contribute up to $2 billion to support municipalities with COVID-19 operating costs for the next six to eight months. Provincial and territorial governments will continue to support municipalities, and will cost-match federal supports with investments flowed this fiscal year for operating costs

In addition, the Government of Canada will also contribute more than $2.3 billion to support any additional contributions by participating provinces or territories for public transit for operating costs.

Funds for municipal and transit investments will be cost-shared 50/50. Contributions for municipal supports recognize provincial and territorial operational investments from April 1, 2020.

Nova Scotia will provide a direct and verifiable transfer to municipalities for the appropriate amounts without claw backs of other forms of planned municipal assistance.

Since April 1, 2020, Nova Scotia has committed more than $100 million to support municipal operations and to help address the impact of COVID-19 (see Appendix B). Federal funding will provide much needed support for continued municipal pressures estimated to reach approximately $67 million based on a survey conducted by the Nova Scotia Federation of Municipalities. Under the SRA, funding designated for transit will be allocated to regional municipalities based on needs identified in the NSFM survey; the remainder will be distributed to all municipalities according to the gas tax formula.

Incremental funding will help municipalities:

• address increased operating costs resulting from a reduction in revenue due to COVID-19
• continue to implement social distancing and infection prevention and control protocols required to operate facilities, public spaces and effectively deliver services to citizens
• further support safe transit operations and innovative solutions required to adjust to modified capacity
• acquire additional PPE.

Personal protective equipment (PPE) for health and non-health workers

COVID-19 has added significant pressure to the procurement and supply of PPE for essential health workers and others. Both orders of government have made significant investments in this area and worked collaboratively to ensure availability of the required equipment at all stage of the pandemic. Additionally, Nova Scotia has centralized its forecasting, modelling, purchasing, warehousing and distribution of PPE in response to the pandemic.

To support the restart of the economy, the Government of Canada will commit $4.05 billion to purchase PPE for national distribution to provinces and territories, $500 million to support the purchase of PPE for the non-health sector, and commit $3 billion directly to provinces and territories for previous and planned PPE investments. To facilitate future procurement, provinces and territories will regularly share relevant PPE-related data with the Government of Canada.

Nova Scotia priorities include measures to:

• offset costs associated with purchases of PPE since the beginning of the pandemic
• offset future costs associated with purchases of PPE as we ready for a second wave through fall and winter
• leverage our robust tracking and reporting system for PPE to continue to ensure availability of PPE for the province's health care sector and other sectors as the economy reopens and to cope with a potential surge.

I would also add that Nova Scotia has agreed to collaborate with Health Canada on the Pan-Canadian modelling project.

Child care for returning workers

The Government of Canada is working with provinces and territories to ensure sufficient child care is available so parents can gradually return to the workplace.

The Government of Canada will provide $625 million to help the sector adapt to the COVID-19 environment and address the reduced availability of child care spaces and the unique needs stemming from the pandemic.

Nova Scotia priorities include measures to:

• continue to help the province's day cares adjust to the reopening of the economy and incorporate safe distancing requirements
• provide PPE to child care centres, ensure new cleaning protocols and appropriate public health measures are supported to keep both children and staff safe while operating in the pandemic.

Pan-Canadian sick leave

To safely restart the economy, Canada must ensure that workers do not return to work if they have COVID-19 or are showing symptoms.

To encourage workers to remain at home and seek public health advice if they are showing symptoms, the Government of Canada will fund and deliver a new temporary income support program. The estimated $1.1 billion program will support workers who do not already have access to other paid sick leave. The federal government is responsible for all current and future costs of this program.

Nova Scotia has a provision for job-protected sick leave due to COVID-19:

• Under Nova Scotia's Labour Standards Code (LSC), if an employee is unable to perform their job as a result of a direction or order under the Health Protection Act, they may qualify for job protection under the Emergency Leave provisions of the LSC.
• Specifically, section 601(1)(b)(ii) of the LSC defines an "emergency" as a "direction or order of a medical officer under the Health Protection Act that prevents the employee from performing the employee's work duties."
• The current Health Protection Act order, under section 2, provides that all persons in Nova Scotia who are identified as a close contact of a person who has COVID-19, are identified as a person diagnosed with COVID-19 or have been tested for COVID-19 and are awaiting the results of their test, must remain in self isolation/quarantine from the first day of close contact, symptoms, testing or diagnosis for 14 days or as directed by a medical officer of health.
• The current emergency leave provisions in the LSC provide job protected leave for employees required to self-isolate/quarantine under the Health Protection Act order, without the necessity of a further legislative or regulatory change.

First Ministers believe this funding must quickly be put to use to protect the health and safety of our citizens and to truly help restart the economy. In order to do so, the funding for all priorities will be transferred to Nova Scotia through a direct single transfer. This single transfer is in addition to a September transfer for the second tranche of testing funding and is apart from the federal Pan-Canadian Sick Leave program and federal in-kind spending for testing, contact tracing, and data management and PPE.

Each government will continue to report on its actions, to maintain transparency and accountability to the citizens it serves.

Canadians have been well served by the strong, collaborative efforts demonstrated by First Ministers throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. All First Ministers reaffirm their commitment to this approach, while they continue to address their top shared priority, the well-being and safety of all Canadians.

I look forward to the implementation of the Safe Restart Agreement and our continued collaboration.

Honourable Stephen McNeil, M.L.A.
Premier of Nova Scotia

Appendix A - Canada-Nova Scotia Safe Restart Agreement Investment Details

1. Testing, Contact Tracing, and Data Management
   1. Federal Investment - $4.282B
   2. Allocation Details
      • Per capita allocation
      • $3.0B cash transfer in two installments
      • $1.28B in transfers and federal support
   3. Nova Scotia Allocation
      • Total - $77.291M
      • Payment 1 - $59.257M
      • Payment 2 (Fall 2020) - $18.034M
2. Health Care System Capacity
   1. Federal Investment - $1.200B
   2. Allocation Details - Per capita cash transfer
   3. Nova Scotia Allocation
      • Total - $30.916M
      • Health Care Capacity - $18.035M
      • Mental Health and Addiction - $12.882M
3. Vulnerable Populations
   1. Federal Investment - $740M
   2. Allocation Details - Per capita cash transfer
   3. Nova Scotia Allocation - $19.065M
4. Municipalities and Transit
   1. Federal Investment - $2B (municipalities) + $2.3B (transit)
   2. Allocation Details
      • Municipalities - per capita cash transfer, cost shared at 50/50
      • Transit - cash transfer as applicable, cost shared at 50/50
      • Provincial and territorial operational investments from April 1, 2020 are recognized
   3. Nova Scotia Allocation
      • $2B envelope - $51.527M
      • Transit - $16M
5. PPE
   1. Federal Investment - $7.55B
   2. Allocation Details
      • $3.0B per capita cash transfer
      • $4.55B in federally delivered support
   3. Nova Scotia Allocation - $77.291M
6. Child Care for Returning Workers
   1. Federal Investment - $625M
   2. Allocation Details - Base ($2M/jurisdiction) plus per capita cash transfer
   3. Nova Scotia Allocation - $17.432M
7. Pan-Canadian Sick Leave
   1. Federal Investment - $1.1B
   2. Allocation Details - Federal Delivery

Appendix B - Investment in municipalities since April 1, 2020

The following table itemizes operational funding the government of Nova Scotia has invested in the province's municipalities since April 1, 2020, proposed for cost-sharing.