Memramcook Tantramar MLA Megan Mitton is calling for changes to new cross-border rules that are affecting people in the Tantramar Area, and asking for people affected to share their stories with her.

On January 8, 2021, the province announced new testing and isolation requirements after travel.

One of the major changes affecting the Tantramar region is that people crossing into Nova Scotia for medical appointments are now required to do something called “work isolation” upon return.

Work isolation is a sort of ramped up version of life under orange level restrictions. The province’s guidelines on work isolation describe it as being for “individuals travelling or returning to New Brunswick for work purposes.” But since January 8, it also applies to people who have been to Nova Scotia for a medical appointment.

People under work isolation are limited to a single household bubble, and must wear a mask in any public space, indoors or out, regardless of their ability to maintain distance. They “may travel to work and school and directly home,” say the guidelines. While at work or school, people under work isolation must wear a mask at all times, without sharing meeting spaces or lunch rooms. They must maintain 2 metres of distance from others at all times, say the guidelines.

The same rules do not apply to the other people in their household bubble, as long as the work isolating person is able to maintain distance over the isolation period, by not sharing rooms and remaining masked when together.

The detailed rules are available on the government’s website, at this link. People can also get answers specific to their situation by calling 1-844-462-8387, or emailing helpaide@gnb.ca.

“What I’m hearing from people,” says Mitton, “what I predicted as soon as I started understanding what some of these restrictions were, is that people are cancelling their medical appointments.”

CHMA has heard from some residents who have cancelled dentist and physiotherapy appointments, and others who have gone to Amherst and Halifax for appointments, and are now undergoing work isolation. One person went to their appointment in Amherst under the impression that it was exempt as a medical appointment, only to find out upon return that they were now in for two weeks of work isolation.

There are some exemptions to isolation rules which went untouched on January 8. Regular commuters and truck drivers do not need to complete work isolation when they return to New Brunswick. This creates odd situations in the Tantramar region. One person told CHMA they are able to continue working in Amherst with no isolation requirements, but have had to cancel physiotherapy appointments in Amherst since January 8 because of the changes.

Another group of people who are exempt from work isolation is children who are in cross-border care or custody. But, since January 8, these kids are now required to complete weekly COVID-19 tests. Truck drivers and cross border commuters have access to weekly testing, but for children in cross-border custody, it’s mandatory.

“I’m hearing from parents saying I really don’t want to put my child through this, I’m going to have to miss work, they’re going to have to miss school,” says Mitton. “And some parents are in post-secondary education. They’re going to have to miss their class time.”

As is well known in the Tantramar Region, a COVID test means a trip to Moncton, which can be a half-day round trip for some. If testing were available closer to home, considerable time and expense could be saved.

The limited availability of testing sites is a barrier for people, says Mitton. “Transportation is an issue for a lot of people, plus the cost, and then the time,” she says.

“There’s been a push for there to be a testing site in Sackville for months and months,” says Mitton. “Mount A has called for it, the town of Sackville has called for it, I’ve called for it. This would be an ideal thing to have so that people do have relatively easy access. Because there’s a higher need for testing, potentially, in regions near borders.”

Testing access is also an issue because people on work isolation can be released up to 4 days early, if they are able to make two trips to Moncton to complete two COVID tests, one on day 7 and one on day 10-12 of their isolation.

The January 8 rule changes are, “putting a lot of pressure on people,” says Mitton. “There are people that may even need to switch care. There are people who are already telling me they’re just canceling their medical appointments. And so I’m really worried about the implications for this and how it’s going to impact the people living in our area.”

Mitton wants the government to start “looking at what what the implications of these things are relative to the risk.”

The MLA would like to see people with Nova Scotia medical appointments and children in cross-border custody put in the same category as truck drivers and regular commuters. Those people have access to weekly testing if they want it, but it is not mandatory.

“Of course, we need to make sure we’re safe,” says Mitton. “We need to do what we can to to reduce the risk.”

The other key thing that’s needed, says Mitton, is clarity around the rules.

“People do genuinely want to do the right thing and follow the rules,” says Mitton. “But the rules are unclear, sometimes hard to understand, sometimes are inconsistently explained or inconsistently enforced, in addition to changing often.”

“Having clear communication and clear rules is really important,” says Mitton. “And so far, I think government’s failed on this count.”

Mitton says she wrote to the premier this past week, “explaining some of the consequences of these new rules, and calling on them to give consideration to how we can still have safe, effective public health rules that don’t disproportionately impact the people in this area in a negative way.”

At a January 14 news conference, CHMA asked Premier Blaine Higgs if he was considering increasing access to testing sites in Nova Scotia border communities, or tweaking some of the new border rules regarding medical appointments and children in cross-border custody.

The premier’s answer referred to cross-border travel of essential workers, which has not changed recently.

“We have worked with different cases of essential workers traveling back and forth across that border,” said the premier Thursday. “And other borders for that matter. So I think if there are individual cases, they should put in that request, so we understand what that looks like, and how we can maintain the rules but still provide some coverage there, and the testing needed.”

“Because our goal is not to make life impossible for individuals,” said Higgs, “it’s to just find a way to work safely and keep working. So I encourage them to contact directly, through our COVID website, and we’ll deal with the individual cases.”

On Friday, Megan Mitton made a social media post requesting that Tantramar area residents send her their stories.

“I’m inviting you to send me your story and I will compile them and send them to the Premier,” she posted.

Mitton says messages can be submitted privately to megan.mitton@gnb.ca.