[Reporter] An hour and a half outside of Halifax
we traveled to meet Scott Sampson far away from his family and friends.
He's not allowed to leave this property and we're not supposed to go on it.
So we play it safe keep our distance.
Hey there, Scott, how are you?
Good, thanks Tom, how are you?
[Reporter] A recent arrival from Toronto,
he's confined to a mandatory two-week quarantine.
This is day nine.
I'm thankful that you're here today to have a little bit of human interaction.
And how are you feeling?
I'm feeling good.
A little bit of cabin fever but in terms of COVID symptoms health-wise I'm feeling well,.
[Reporter] Flashback to summer.
How do you feel about the Atlantic bubble?
We're in the best bubble you can get get.
Life inside the Atlantic bubble, once the envy of the country for deflecting COVID
has gotten more complicated these days.
For one thing the bubble doesn't really exist right now.
COVID got back in.
Last month governments suspended free movement between the four provinces.
It's time for us to stay at home.
This is not an easy decision.
P.E.I.'s participation in the Atlantic bubble will be suspended.
[Reporter] And Nova Scotia made the isolation requirements a whole lot more isolating.
Effective immediately, you must quarantine for 14 days alone
away from people who are not quarantined.
[Reporter] Then tighten social gathering limits.
People have been allowed to have close social groups of ten.
Starting Monday, we're reducing that to five.
[Reporter] The shifting directives caused angst for those who had prepared to play
by the old rule book.
When was the right time to come?
Would a trip here be worth it?
There are the daily online forms to fill out
reassuring government you're playing by the rules.
And the monotony of trying to amuse oneself in quarantine.
So I wanted to show off my home gym.
There it is, perfect.
[Reporter] And for some the biggest hurdle of all:
the guilt about coming from a highly infectious region
to one that has successfully kept a lid on this pandemic.
For many of the people we talked to for this story
the alternative was being completely alone for the holidays.
But in the end they wouldn't be interviewed for fear of being shamed.
I think there is a little bit of a stigma because there are so many cases in Ontario
that there's that uncertainty of whether or not I did accidentally bring COVID
with me to Nova Scotia.
Should people be feeling guilty do you think?
I mean is that sense of guilt a real thing among people?
Some people would see it as a little controversial to be traveling
for reasons that aren't necessarily essential.
[Reporter] Do you want to try opening the window there?
When last we left him in September Brenda Shastalin
a St. Mary's University student from Ontario was able to quarantine
in the same apartment with roommates and eventually get on with a pretty normal life
inside the bubble.
September seems so long ago.
Now social life is almost non-existent, restaurants and bars are closed.
Actually having some time to study a bit more so.
[Reporter] And if he leaves what's left of the bubble for a Christmas break
his whole household roommates included would have to quarantine for 14 days
upon his return.
Either that or he moves out.
I'm definitely concerned about quarantining alone again.
I think it could be a very isolating experience.
Maybe I'll have to pick up an AirBnb
but in most cases there are huge costs associated with that as well
so I think the whole prospect of quarantining is a bit more challenging right now.
[Reporter] If he stays, his campus is all but shut down.
Add to that officials are urging people to not travel to from or even around
this region this holiday season at all.
The shine seems to have come off the bubble.
Many of us were relishing those opportunities to be in person
to be able to see friends here and there
and unfortunately you know when we saw that increase in cases
we knew that that wasn't going to be possible the same way anymore.
[Reporter] But even before the new restrictions came into effect
there was this.
Let's call this what it is.
We're having a problem with 18 to 35-year-olds.
[Reporter] Last month when COVID cases among this demographic began to spike.
The premier and others scolded it blamed young people for the rise.
They were going out when they were feeling sick.
They're going out in large groups
and quite frankly different groups and are not distancing.
They are living as if COVID doesn't exist.
[Reporter] COVID shaming is a reality here.
Robert is an associate professor researching the stigma from COVID in Nova Scotia.
The idea is that if you want to keep the bubble strong, keep people out of it.
Since it was declared that 18 to 35-year-olds were likely the demographic
that encouraged that there's been a lot of really harmful
and negative discussion on social media.
We're hearing that students who go out in public to to go get groceries
or if there's a group of five that people are not beyond slowing down their cars
rolling down the window and yelling some obscenities at them.
Sure there's been a couple house parties some reckless behaviour in one or two cases
but for the most part people have followed the rules,.
They understand the gravity of the situation and they're doing their best.
I was just a little worried about it so I thought I might just come down get tested just in case.
[Reporter] Case in point when the province called on young people to get a rapid test
to try to quell the outbreak their response was overwhelming.
Thousands showed up.
Yeah, obviously we've been told that we're being irresponsible
but when you look out here we're all out in masks we're all distanced so
and we're all getting tested.
It's also a very public display of resilience and community
amongst that demographic.
In the end, maybe COVID is teaching everyone a lesson in resilience.
Brendan Shastaline has decided to book a flight back to Ontario to visit his family.
Yet another quarantine awaits his return.
Whatever becomes of the bubble
no one here is under the illusion that this will be anything but a long winter.
Tom Murphy, CBC News, Halifax