HALIFAX -- For the third day in a row, Nova Scotia is reporting only one new case of COVID-19, and only one long-term care facility now has active cases of the virus.
Nova Scotia has seen a significant drop in the number of cases during the month of May, with cases in the single digits being reported since May 5.
The QEII Health Sciences Centre's microbiology lab completed 489 tests on Sunday.
To date, Nova Scotia has 38,458 negative test results, 1,051 positive COVID-19 test results and 58 deaths. The province didn’t report any additional deaths on Monday.
Premier Stephen McNeil and Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Robert Strang will not be holding a news conference on Monday. The next news conference in scheduled for Tuesday.
974 people recovered; 19 active cases
Of the 1,051 confirmed cases, the province says 974 people have now recovered from COVID-19 and their cases are considered resolved.
This leaves 19 active cases in Nova Scotia. Sixteen of those cases are connected to Halifax’s Northwood long-term care home, which currently has 12 residents and four staff members with active cases of COVID-19.
Northwood is now the only long-term care facility in Nova Scotia with active cases of COVID-19, as a resident at a second facility has now recovered from the virus.
This leaves only three active cases outside of Northwood, which has seen the most significant outbreak of COVID-19 in the province.
Fifty-two of the province’s 58 deaths have been at Northwood.
As of Sunday, Northwood was reporting a total of 343 cases involving 246 residents and 97 employees, though 182 residents and 93 employees have now recovered from the virus.
There are still six people in hospital and three of those patients in the intensive care units.
The province’s confirmed cases range in age from under 10 to over 90.
Sixty-two per cent of cases are female and 38 per cent are male.
The latest case was confirmed in the Nova Scotia Health Authority’s central zone, which contains the Halifax Regional Municipality and has seen the most significant number of cases.
The western, northern and eastern zones are reporting no additional cases at this time.
- western zone: 54 cases
- central zone: 902 cases
- northern zone: 44 cases
- eastern zone: 51 cases
Public health is working to identify and test people who may have come in close contact with the confirmed cases.
List of symptoms expanded
Anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 is required to self-isolate at home, away from the public for 14 days.
Anyone who travels outside of Nova Scotia must also self-isolate for two weeks.
Last week, the province expanded the list of symptoms for which it is screening.
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:
- fever (i.e. chills, sweats)
- cough or worsening of a previous cough
- sore throat
- headache
- shortness of breath
- muscle aches
- sneezing
- nasal congestion/runny nose
- hoarse voice
- diarrhea
- unusual fatigue
- loss of sense of smell or taste
- red, purple or blueish lesions on the feet, toes or fingers without clear cause
The provincial state of emergency, which was first declared on March 22, has been extended to May 31.
