BREAKING: Premier Iain Rankin has just announced a two week province wide shutdown, starting at 8 a.m. tomorrow

The new restrictions include closing most retail businesses, reducing gatherings to household bubbles and closing public and private schools across the province

The following restrictions are effective 8 a.m. Wednesday, April 28, and will remain in effect until at least May 12:

-- Nova Scotians can only gather indoors or outdoors with their household bubble, which is the people they live with

-- Households of 2 or less people can socialize with 1 or 2 others but they must be the same people for this 2 week period
-- No unnecessary travel between communities; a community is defined as the municipality where you live - people should stay as close to home as possible

-- All public and private schools are closed
-- Day cares will remain open, with the focus on providing service to those providing essential services or have no other child-care option

-- Mandatory masking for staff, visitors and children over two years old in indoor child-care settings
-- Mandatory masking outdoors where physical distancing cannot be maintained, including playgrounds and parks

-- In private indoor workplaces such as offices or warehouses, masks are mandatory in all common areas, places where there is interaction with the public, areas with poor ventilation, and areas where distance cannot be maintained

-- Retail stores are closed for in-person service unless those stores provide services essential to the life, health or personal safety of individuals and animals. These stores can remain open at 25% and include those that provide:

-- Restaurants & licensed establishments are closed for dine-in service, but contactless take-out or delivery is allowed
--Nova Scotia Liquor Commission stores can remain open at 25% capacity
-- Personal services such as hair salons, barber shops and spas are closed

-- Regulated & unregulated health professions can remain open with an approved plan
-- Casino Nova Scotia in Halifax and Sydney and First Nations gaming establishments and VLTs must close
-- Wedding and funeral ceremonies can have five people, plus officiants

-- No social events, special events, festivals, arts/cultural events, sports events, faith gatherings, wedding receptions, or funeral visitation
-- No meetings except mental health & addictions support groups, which can have 10 people with physical distancing & masks

-- All fitness, recreational & sports facilities are closed
-- Licensed & unlicensed establishments cannot host activities such as darts, cards, pool & bowling
-- Indoor fitness facilities like gyms & yoga studios and sport and recreation facilities are closed

-- Museums, libraries and the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia are closed, but libraries can offer pick-up and drop-off of books and other materials

-- There will be no visitors or volunteers allowed inside long-term care facilities except for designated care providers and no visits to the community

-- All homes licensed by the Department of Community Service under the Homes for Special Care Act cannot have visitors and residents cannot have community access