Premier MacNeil Leaves Office

USPA NEWS - Friday February 19th, Dr. Strang and Stephen MacNeil held their  100th COVID-19 update, which would be MacNeil's  last as Premier.  Dr. Strang, Nova Scotia's Chief Medical Officer of Health, said, "It's been a privilege to work beside you for the past year. You've made my job easier, you've treated me with respect and kindness and most importantly, you have always put the health of Nova Scotians first." To honour McNeil, Dr. Robert Strang wore an Annapolis Valley tartan tie, representing the Premier's hometown.

Monday, February 22nd, is Premier Stephen MacNeil's last day in office and Public Health  is announcing just 1 new case of COVID-19. When Premier-Elect Iain Rankin  is sworn in and takes office, MacNeil will leaving his post with Nova Scotia being the envy of most jurisdictions in North America because of it's low number of COVID-19 cases. Monday also marked a positive milestone in the COVID-19 vaccine rollout for Nova Scotians as  Bernice Burns, 82, became the first senior in Nova Scotia to receive her vaccine in a community-based vaccination clinic. The dose was administered by Allison Milley, RN. at the IWK Health Centre in Halifax.

Premier MacNeil has  represented the riding of Annapolis in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly since 2003 and has been the leader of the Nova Scotia Liberal Party since 2007. Stephen MacNeil became the  28th Premier of Nova Scotia, and took  office on October 22, 2013. McNeil announced on August 6, 2020, that he would be stepping down as Premier of Nova Scotia and leaving public office. In his announcement he confirmed he would remain as Premier and leader of the Liberal Party until a new leader could be chosen.

In his closing remarks at last Friday's press conference MacNeil had this  to say to Nova Scotians, " I thank all Nova Scotians for their steadfast commitment to slowing the spread of the virus in our province. There is so much to be proud of, but there is more work to do. Please remember to stay vigilant, follow all of the protocols, and be kind."

Premier-Elect, Iain Rankin was sworn in as Nova Scotia's 29th Premier, on February 23rd, 2021 after being chosen to be the new Leader of the Nova Scotia Liberal Party on February 6th.