The Chief Medical Officer of Health has made an Order under the Health Protection Act of Nova Scotia, allowing some groups of workers and other individuals to be exempt from the 14-day self-isolation period when arriving in Nova Scotia.  The following groups and individuals are exempt from the 14-day requirement:
Healthy workers in the trade and transportation sector who are employed in the movement of goods and people across the Nova Scotia border by land, air, or water, including truck drivers, crew, maintenance and operational workers on any plane, train or food production plants;

People travelling into Nova Scotia for essential health services and one accompanying support person;

Canadian military personnel, Coast Guard and RCMP; and

First responders, including police, fire and EHS paramedic workers.

Triage and manage the oral health care needs of essential workers by tele-dentistry whenever possible. While these individuals are not required to self-isolate for 14 days, they must pass pre-screening and screening requirements to be treated in a denturist clinic..  The Chief Medical Officer of Health notes that screening protocols are the best control measure.  With COVID-19 testing, there is the issue that a single negative test is not a good way to screen out COVID-19 given the limitations of our current testing technology when testing asymptomatic individuals (up to 20% false negative).

It is recommended to perform non- aerosol generating procedures whenever possible for individuals with a self-isolation exemption.

If an aerosol generating procedure is necessary, the office must:

• Schedule the patient at the end of the day; or
• Institute airborne precautions; or
• Refer to an office that can implement airborne precautions.