Photo: The Canadian Press

Nova Scotia Premier Iain Rankin

Traffic was brought to a standstill Wednesday along the Trans-Canada Highway at Nova Scotia's boundary with New Brunswick as a protest continued over COVID-19 travel restrictions.

A Nova Scotia RCMP spokesman said traffic was shut down in both directions overnight after a protest that began Tuesday at Exit 7 near the Cobequid Pass moved to the border area outside Amherst, N.S.

"We are mobilizing extra resources to go down to the border site specifically and start a dialogue with the protesters and see if we can get things moving again," Cpl. Chris Marshall said in an interview.

Marshall said police are advising motorists to avoid the area, which is one of the only entry points between the two provinces. He said essential workers travelling to their jobs can't get through and the transit of goods has been disrupted.

"The impact here is fairly significant so we are working to get things reopened here as quickly as we can," he said.

The protest began after the Nova Scotia government announced that starting Wednesday, travellers from New Brunswick would need to self-isolate upon arrival even though people visiting the province from Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador wouldn't have to.

New Brunswick travellers are subject to isolation requirements based on their vaccination status and COVID-19 test results.

Premier Iain Rankin has said the health measures are necessary because of New Brunswick's move last week to reopen its boundaries to Canadian travellers without requiring them to self-isolate as long as they have had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Amherst Mayor David Kogon said the emotional reaction of some people in the area to the border measures has ranged from "severe disappointment to total outrage."

"Their expectations were dashed," Kogon said in an interview Wednesday. "They had an expectation to be able to see family and friends and do business in New Brunswick on June 23 and that didn't happen."

He said he spoke with Rankin by phone Wednesday morning to try to clarify whether the travel restrictions would remain during the scheduled reopening of Nova Scotia's boundaries to travellers from the rest of Canada on June 30.

Kogon said Rankin assured him the measures would only be in place until next Wednesday.

"The message I would like to get out there is that as disappointing and annoying as it is to have to change your plans we're only talking about seven days and let's try to be peaceful, calm and more reasonable," he said. "I understand their (protesters) frustration … but we want lawful protests only."

During a briefing on Tuesday, Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia's chief medical officer of health, said the restrictions for New Brunswick travellers would likely be reassessed next week.

Strang, however, said any decision would be based on the level of virus activity in New Brunswick as a result of its boundaries opening to Canadian travellers.