This is an excerpt from Dr. Robert Strang’s ending of his speech during the Dec. 21 COVID-19 Briefing.
“I want to end today speaking from my heart.
This is a worrisome, sad and frustrating time.
As your chief medical officer of health, I feel immense pressure to make the right decisions to protect Nova Scotians, to find the best balance to minimize harms from COVID and COVID control measures.
I’m not going to get it right every time and in retrospect, perhaps we did not get things quite right last week. Things are changing fast with this new variant and there is limited information. Please know that my recommendations and decisions always have the best interest of all Nova Scotians in mind.
I’m asking for your help and your continued support of our pandemic response.
What we’re asking you to do now is probably the most difficult request we’ve made yet.
I hope you take advantage of a quieter holiday season to slow down and reflect on what is most important … friends, family, good health.
Hope is fundamental to the true meaning of Christmas and so I ask all Nova Scotians, of all faiths and beliefs, to keep your hope and your love for one another. Care for one another, be kind to one another, support one another and we will get through this.
My sincere wishes for a happy, healthy, and slow holiday season.”
- Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia’s Chief medical officer of health.