How Students can take Advantage of The Atlantic Bubble

Written by Nathan Robichaud

Photo by Peter Law on Unsplash

If you’re on the East Coast, or have any kind of roots here, you may have heard about the ‘Atlantic bubble’ by now. As a student living in Halifax, with friends and family-based mostly in New Brunswick, the state of emergency in response to COVID-19 has restricted my ability to travel between provinces as much as I would have liked. Given the sheer amount of Atlantic Canadians studying in other Atlantic provinces, many students may be in similar situations. Here is how students (international or domestic) can take advantage of this new development.

With the implementation of the ‘Atlantic bubble’ the largest change has been that no individual moving between  Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador will be required to self-isolate. This means anyone eager to visit friends or family out of province, return back to their own province, or road trip through the Maritimes will be permitted to do so without the usual accompanying isolation periods many have come to know and love. This is being implemented to increase tourism in a safe capacity and allow Atlantic residents to enjoy their summer in a meaningful way. This means students are free to pursue typical summer activities they may have already forgotten about, seeing that last summer may feel like a memory from another lifetime. Fun summer suggestions include exploring the nightlife in other cities, camping, and beach days, just don’t forget to social distance.    

Each province is enforcing its own regulations which serve to ensure people are following public guidelines. All provinces mandate that you should not be travelling if you are experiencing COVID symptoms. In addition, each province has its own rules that must be followed to gain entry. 

To enter Nova Scotia, Atlantic Canadian residents must show proof of residency and present ID.

To enter New Brunswick residents must fill out a declaration form and have ID that proves residency. The province prefers this be done online; however, it can be done at the border, but will cause a delay.

To Enter Prince Edward Island residents must fill out a form, probably the most intensive from all the provinces. The form must be filled out 1-2 days prior to the date of entry, prove travellers have been in the Atlantic provinces for 14 days, and be printed out and presented upon entry.  

To enter Newfoundland and Labrador residents must prove several things, all of which are listed in the accompanying link, and fill out a form.

Photo by Jeff Smith on Unsplash

It has now been over a couple of weeks since the bubble went live on July 3rd. There have been a few new cases identified in Atlantic Canada, but generally remain low. This bodes well for students eager to make the most out of their summer before returning to online classes in the fall. The only murmur of additional inconvenience has been regarding wait times to enter New Brunswick from Nova Scotia caused by the influx of travellers. Myself being one of these travellers, I was actually granted entry without being required to fill out a form or prove my own identity or residency status. This was on the 7th of July and despite the influx of traffic at the checkpoint,  took approximately 10 minutes. This suggests provinces are still developing their own practices at this early stage. It’s also possible they prefer a lenient approach as the number of cases remains low. PEI has also posted a notification on their website that delays may be frequent due to those seeking entry via the Confederation bridge.

The bubble remains a huge win for adventurous students and families everywhere, but it’s important not to throw caution to the wind just yet. These restrictions are being lifted as a result of the absence of confirmed cases in Atlantic Canada. The Council of Atlantic Premiers made the call to open interprovincial travel with the guidance of medical officials within each province and have assured citizens that the arrangement will be monitored. As of July 10th, 2020, Nova Scotia has only 4 confirmed cases which have been contained and were travel related. The other Atlantic provinces in the bubble boast similar numbers.

Nova Scotia Premier McNeil suggests the bubble will allow families to vacation this summer, but that continued adherence to public health guidelines is required to ensure cases remain scarce within Atlantic Canada. This is just perfect for students looking to vacation out of province and make the most out of what would otherwise be a relatively low key summer. Canadians visiting any of the 4 provinces from outside of the Atlantic Bubble will be required to isolate for 14 days before being allowed to utilize the new travel arrangement.

It remains unclear what consequences those failing to adhere to guidelines while travelling interprovincially in Atlantic Canada will face. So to avoid wasting a trip to the Confederation bridge it is advised that all travellers follow guidelines and plan ahead. General rules are to avoid travel if you experience symptoms of COVID, carry several IDs that can prove permanent residency, and fill out the appropriate forms you will need depending on which province you intend to visit.

For more Nova Scotia news regarding COVID-19 check out the provincial website. The province continues to advise residents to call 811 if they are experiencing any number of symptoms.