Nova Scotians hit the beach on the first weekend since the bubble burst

With COVID-19 bubbles burst and a weeklong heatwave, Nova Scotians raced to the beach Saturday.

The parking lot at Crystal Crescent Beach Provincial Park was full long before noon with families coming out to enjoy the sun before the day got too hot.

Nadine Leblanc was there with her partner and two young children. When they got to the beach they met some friends who hadn't been in their bubble.

"The first thing I did was run up and give them the biggest hugs," Leblanc said. "We had a very long, lingering hug. Which was very nice. It's nice for the kids to actually hug them as well."

'Still being cautious'

Eased restrictions are a sign the province is handling the pandemic well, she said, and the virus is contained. Today, the province announced its 11th consecutive day of no new cases.

But they're not taking it as a sign to stop following public health orders.

"We're still being cautious, but it does feel nice to not have to be constantly vigilant," Leblanc said.

Owen Bower, 11, was "very excited" to go to the beach with family and friends, but he's still trying to maintain a bit of distance.

"I was very tempted [to hug my friends], but I didn't," he said. "I high-fived!"

The 'luxury' of socializing

Yohan Torres was with a group of friends and family, kicking around a soccer ball in the sand.

Torres said their group was "so close" before the pandemic reached the province, but it's been months since they've been able to gather without physical distancing.

"It's actually so good, it's [been] so long that we don't have this close contact with friends," he said. "It's so nice to be close and have everyone together again."

Torres said he feels "safe" and the province's data on the COVID-19 pandemic proves that the curve is flattening.

Eileen Hogan, another beachgoer, said  it didn't feel much different because she was at the beach with people from her household bubble, but it's nice knowing the virus isn't "going crazy" across the province.

"It's just nice to see other people out.… We still keep a social distance even though we have that luxury of talking to other people," she said.

In a news conference Thursday, Premier Stephen McNeil said people could gather in groups of 10 without physical distancing. Those groups did not have to be exclusive, ending the need for household bubbles.