HALIFAX -- Nova Scotia is reporting 13 new cases of COVID-19, including one involving a child.
This brings the total number of confirmed cases in the province to 41.
The province says the latest cases, reported Monday, are all travel-related or related to previously-reported cases.
Several of the new cases are connected and involve groups or families who have returned to Nova Scotia after travelling outside Canada.
“Several of these new cases, there’s connections so, they’re within household contacts and exposures,” explained Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia’s chief medical officer of health, during a news conference Monday afternoon.
“The family had travelled together outside of Nova Scotia and are now back home.”
The 41 affected individuals range in age from under 10 to their mid-70s. Strang wouldn’t confirm the exact age of the child.
“We do know, in general, that especially looking around the world with COVID-19, that children can certainly get sick,” said Strang. “But they are at the lowest risk for getting severe illness, so we’re certainly hoping that this child continues to recover well.”
COVID-19 cases have been identified in all parts of Nova Scotia, but the province is not releasing the specific geographic locations.
One person remains in hospital.
The province says, at this point, there has been no spread within communities.
Public Health has been in contact with the affected individuals and is working to identify others who may have come in contact with them. Those individuals are also being directed to self-isolate at home, away from the public, for 14 days.
The government says the microbiology lab at the QEII Health Sciences Centre in Halifax is now certified to report positive and negative tests for COVID-19, so tests no longer have to be sent to the National Microbiology Lab in Winnipeg.
As of Monday, 2,308 test results were negative, and 41 tests were positive for COVID-19.
The government says anyone who travels outside Nova Scotia must self-isolate for 14 days.
Anyone who travelled outside the province, or has been in close contact with someone who travelled, and is experiencing a fever or new cough, is asked to complete an online questionnaire before calling 811.
