N.S. reports 9 deaths, jump in cases in COVID-19 dashboard update

Health officials in Nova Scotia are reporting an increase in deaths and cases, and a decrease in new hospitalizations in the province’s weekly COVID-19 dashboard update.

Nine people died from COVID-19 in Nova Scotia between June 28 and July 4. Since the start of the pandemic, 451 people in Nova Scotia died in relation to the virus.

HOSPITALIZATIONS

Twenty-one more people were hospitalized because of COVID-19, a decrease compared to the 37 reported last week.

There are 31 people in hospital with COVID-19 in the province — four of whom are in the intensive care unit.

The average age of a person in hospital with COVID-19 is 75.

NEW CASES

Nova Scotia is reporting 1,749 new cases of COVID-19 — 329 more than were reported last week.

VACCINATION

In Nova Scotia, 7.6 per cent of people have not been vaccinated against COVID-19, 4.5 per cent have one dose and 87.9 per cent have at least two doses.

PUBLIC RESTRICTIONS END

The few remaining public COVID-19 restrictions were lifted Wednesday in the province.

Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Robert Strang said Monday it was “the right time” to do so, but noted most restrictions in high-risk settings will remain.

"The pandemic is not over. But Nova Scotians have the tools and resources to make the right decisions to keep each other safe,” Strang said in a release.

He says smaller waves of COVID-19 are expected over the summer.

The province is also getting rid of its weekly COVID-19 updates and switching to a monthly report. It will come out on the 15th of every month and will reflect the COVID-19 epidemiology in the province for the previous month.

The first monthly report, for June, will be released on July 15.

However, the province will continue to update its COVID-19 dashboard each week.