Starting Monday, March 7, 2022, Nova Scotia will shift into Phase 2 of its Reopening Plan. Phase 3 is expected to begin on March 21, 2022. Relevant changes to health and safety restrictions in effect on February 28 are highlighted on pages 2-4 of our updated farmers’ market sector-specific COVID-19 prevention plan. To view the full document, please click here.
Key updates for all of Nova Scotia starting February 28, 2022 and in place until March 21, 2022:
- Farmers’ markets can operate at 100% capacity.
- Farmers’ markets must continue to ensure 2-metre social distancing protocols are maintained and/or physical barriers are used until March 21, 2022.
- Rules for face masks:
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- All vendors, staff, volunteers, and customers must wear a face mask while attending an indoor public market or any interior space of a farmers’ market.
- Customers may remove their mask while eating or drinking only in a designated indoor eating area and must be seated to do so.
- Face shields are not an acceptable alternative for face masks.
- Those exempt from wearing a mask include children under the age of 2, or children aged 2 to 4 if they cannot be persuaded, or individuals with underlying medical conditions.
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- Rules for proof of vaccination:
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- Farmers’ markets may use and/or rent their space for non-public market related activities without requiring proof of vaccination.
- Note: Proof of vaccination was never required for public markets.
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- Rules for eating areas:
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- Indoor designated eating areas may only operate at 75% of that area’s capacity.
- 2-metre social distancing protocols and/or physical barriers are not mandatory in designated eating areas but are encouraged wherever possible.
- Tables in eating areas have a limit of 25 people per table.
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- Rules for sampling:
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- Sampling rules for our outdoor public markets:
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- Samples may be consumed at the vendor booth at outdoor public markets.
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- Sampling rules for indoor public markets:
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- Customers must always wear face masks at indoor public markets and must not remove their masks at vendor booths.
- Samples may only be consumed in designated eating areas or outside of the market.
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- Sampling rules for our outdoor public markets:
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Further information:
Nova Scotia remains under a Provincial State of Emergency, and farmers’ markets must continue to adhere to restrictions contained in the most current Nova Scotia Health Protection Act order. Please note that the situation can change at any time. Go to https://novascotia.ca/coronavirus/ to stay updated on the situation.
Farmers’ Markets of Nova Scotia (FMNS) continues to hold that public markets are essential food infrastructure providing essential economic services. FMNS bases our farmers’ market sector-specific COVID-19 prevention plan on the rules and regulations created by Nova Scotia Public Health.
Farmers’ markets have and continue to be allowed to operate in all regions throughout Nova Scotia. The Province of Nova Scotia recognizes farmers’ market vendors as essential service workers and has categorized farmers’ markets and their public markets as non-discretionary business activities, meaning they are exempt from requirements for proof of vaccinations. The Province of Nova Scotia states that businesses and organizations are free to create their own vaccination policies but are not required to do so. It should be noted that any proof vaccination policy should take legal and ethical implications into consideration and that all people are required to be allowed to access essential services, which include public markets.
FMNS is Nova Scotia’s farmers’ market sector association and regularly provides updates and directives to farmers’ markets so that they may continue to safely operate. We continue to work with various Government of Nova Scotia departments to stay updated on efforts to contain the spread COVID-19.
FMNS encourages those farmers’ markets that run public markets to ensure that the primary focus of the market is on promoting commercial activity for their vendors, with an emphasis on creating safe, population-controlled spaces with social distancing measures and/or physical barriers where appropriate.
FMNS continues to hold that farmers’ markets are the social, cultural, and economic backbone of communities across Nova Scotia. They’re small-business incubators, job creators, and hubs for community building. By adapting and observing restrictions we’ll keep ensuring that our farmers’ markets continue to safely operate and support our communities.
