Nova Scotia premier says Atlantic bubble won’t open ‘any time soon’

HALIFAX — Nova Scotia’s premier says the Atlantic bubble won’t reopen to the rest of Canada “any time soon” given the resurgence of COVID-19 cases in provinces such as Quebec and Ontario.

Stephen McNeil wouldn’t be specific about a timeline during a briefing today but said there will be no reopening in the short term.

He says he is concerned by large outbreaks of the virus in other parts of the country.

McNeil also announced his province would ramp up its testing capacity in an attempt to test people with symptoms as quickly as possible ahead of a potential second wave of the novel coronavirus hitting the province.

The plan would see the main lab in Halifax increase its capacity from the current 1,500 tests a day to 2,500 tests a day by mid-November.

Equipment would also be added to a lab facility in Sydney, N.S., in early November so tests in Cape Breton are processed there instead of sending them to Halifax.