Non-emergency health services disrupted as Nova Scotia snowstorm cleanup continues

Nova Scotia Health says non-emergency services in its Eastern zone will continue to be reduced following a weekend snowstorm.

That zone comprises Antigonish and Guysborough counties as well as Cape Breton, where up to 150 centimetres of snow accumulated in some areas.

The health authority says its focus today will be on emergency and urgent care, and is asking patients to consider whether any non-urgent appointments can be rescheduled.

The provincial government says residents of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality and Eskasoni should avoid unnecessary travel, and that it’s hoping most roads will be clear by the end of the week.

The regional municipality, which includes Sydney, the largest community on Cape Breton, says city hall will remain closed and transit services and waste collection are still paused.

The Nova Scotia government says provincial offices in Cape Breton Regional Municipality and Victoria County will also be closed today due to ongoing storm cleanup.

All other provincial offices will be open for regular hours, unless there is a local disruption, like a power outage.

The government says more than 1,000 people are working around the clock using about 400 pieces of equipment to remove snow across Nova Scotia.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 7, 2024.

The Canadian Press

<!– Photo: 20240206230220-65c305b67e066925ffeddf73jpeg.jpg, Caption:

Nova Scotia Health says non-emergency services in its Eastern zone will continue to be reduced following a weekend snowstorm. A truck is abandoned on a snow-covered street after a winter storm in Sydney, N.S. on Monday, Feb.5, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Shane Wilkie

–>