Justice Minister Brad Johns said Thursday the proposed changes to the law are in direct response to protests that occurred earlier this week outside the home of Dr. Robert Strang, the province's chief medical officer of health.
Johns says amendments to the Access to Health Services Act would broaden the 50-metre safe buffer zone prohibiting protests at health-care facilities to include the homes of health workers. They would also broaden a provision protecting health workers to include senior health officials. Fines for contravening the amended Act would remain at $5,000 for individuals and $100,000 for corporations.
The RCMP has said there were anti-mask protests Sunday, Monday and Tuesday outside a home on the street where Strang lives in the Fall River area, east of Halifax.This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 24, 2022.