Essential workers in Nova Scotia must follow the COVID-19 Protocol for Exempt Travelers under the authority of the Chief Medical Officer of Health which can be found here:

https://novascotia.ca/coronavirus/docs/COVID-19-Protocol-for-exempt-travellers-en.pdf

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.

Canadian military personnel, Coast Guard and RCMP; and First responders, including police, fire and EHS paramedic workers. This also includes members of their immediate household.

Triage and manage the oral health care needs of essential workers (and the members of their household) by tele-dentistry whenever possible.  While these workers are not required to self isolate for 14 days, they must pass pre-screening and screening requirements to be treated in a dental office.  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.