ATLANTIC

N.S. goes one week without a new case of COVID-19

Andrea Jerrett CTVNewsAtlantic.ca Digital Producer

Published Wednesday, July 22, 2020 4:11PM ADT Last Updated Wednesday, July 22, 2020 4:12PM ADT

A laboratory technical assistant at LifeLabs, handles a specimen to be tested for COVID-19 after scanning its barcode upon receipt at the company's lab, in Surrey, B.C., on March 26, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

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HALIFAX -- Nova Scotia has now gone one week without a new case of COVID-19.

No new cases of the virus were reported on Wednesday. The last new case was reported on July 15.

The QEII Health Sciences Centre's microbiology lab completed 528 Nova Scotia tests on Tuesday.

To date, Nova Scotia has 60,702 negative test results.

The number of confirmed cases remains at 1,067, though 1,003 cases are considered resolved and 63 people have died, leaving only one active case in the province.

Among the 63 Nova Scotians who died from COVID-19 are 53 residents of the Northwood long-term care home in Halifax.

There are no active cases of COVID-19 in any long-term care facilities and the Northwood outbreak is considered resolved.

There are no patients in hospital as a result of COVID-19.

The province's confirmed cases range in age from under 10 to over 90.

Sixty-one per cent of cases are female and 39 per cent are male.

There are cases confirmed across the province, but most have been identified in the central zone, which contains the Halifax Regional Municipality.

The provincial government says cumulative cases by zone may change as data is updated in Panorama, the province’s electronic information system.

The numbers reflect where a person lives, and not where their sample was collected.

western zone: 54 cases
central zone: 903 cases
northern zone: 57 cases
eastern zone: 53 cases

The provincial state of emergency has been extended to July 26.

BACK-TO-SCHOOL PLAN ANNOUNCED

Education and Early Childhood Minister Zach Churchill and Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Robert Strang announced Nova Scotia’s back-to-school plan during a news conference on Wednesday.

All public school students across the province will be returning to the classroom full time on Sept. 8, with enhanced safety measures in place.

The plan was developed with survey feedback from more than 28,000 parents and students, and with input from union and education partners.

MANDATORY MASKS

As of Tuesday, patients and visitors are required to wear a non-medical mask when entering all Nova Scotia hospitals and health-care facilities.

Starting Friday, drivers and passengers will be required to wear non-medical masks on public transportation, including municipal transit buses and ferries, school buses, community transit vehicles, and private taxis and shuttles.

Children under the age of two, and people with a valid medical reason for not wearing a mask, are exempt.

EASING OF VISITOR RESTRICTIONS

Long-term care facilities can implement a number of changes on Wednesday.

Up to five people will be able to visit a resident outside, while indoor visits will be allowed, with one visitor at a time per resident.

Appointments must be scheduled and visitors must wear masks at all times during indoor visits. Visitors may not need to wear a mask during outdoor visits, if they maintain a distance of six feet.

Some activities can resume, including sightseeing bus trips for groups of up to 10 people, and licensed hair salons located within long-term care homes can reopen.

SYMPTOMS AND SELF-ISOLATION

Anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 is required to self-isolate at home, away from the public, for 14 days.

Anyone who travels to Nova Scotia from outside the Atlantic region is also required to self-isolate for 14 days and must fill out a self-declaration form before coming to the province.

Residents of New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador are no longer required to self-isolate when travelling to Nova Scotia, but they must provide proof of their place of residency at provincial borders.

Anyone who experiences one of the following symptoms is encouraged to take an online test to determine if they should call 811 for further assessment: