N.S. reports 24 new deaths related to COVID-19, drop in new cases
Nova Scotia is reporting a decrease in new COVID-19 cases, but an increase in deaths and hospitalizations, in its weekly report Thursday.
Health officials are reporting 24 new COVID-19-related deaths -- an increase of 11 deaths from the 13 new deaths reported in the province’s last weekly COVID-19 update.
The data released Thursday covers the seven-day period between April 19 and April 25.
“The data this week on PCR-confirmed infections suggest the peak of the sixth wave is behind us,” said Dr. Shelley Deeks, Nova Scotia’s deputy chief medical officer of health, in a news release. “While the increase in hospitalizations and deaths is not unexpected, they are not insignificant, either. Behind each of these 24 COVID-19 deaths is a family grieving an incalculable loss. It is those families and those loved ones that we should keep in mind. That’s why we get vaccinated. That’s why we wear a mask. That’s why we stay home when we’re sick.”
Nova Scotia has reported a total of 314 deaths related to COVID-19 since the pandemic began. Of those, 202 have been reported during the Omicron wave.
Since the start of the Omicron wave, which began on Dec. 8, 2021, the median age of reported COVID-19 deaths is 80.
HOSPITALIZATIONS
The number of hospitalizations in Nova Scotia has increased since the province’s last weekly update.
The latest release from public health says there were 91 new hospital admissions due to COVID-19 for the seven-day period ending April 25.
Last week, the province reported 84 new hospital admissions.
Of those in hospital:
- 11 are in ICU
- 29 per cent are unvaccinated
- the median age is 76
- the average length of stay is 6.8 days
NEW CASES
There were 5,436 new COVID-19 cases identified with PCR tests between April 19 and 25.
This is a significant decrease of 2,072 new cases since the province announced 7,508 new PCR-confirmed cases last week.
VACCINES
As of Thursday, 64.7 per cent of Nova Scotians have received three doses of COVID-19 vaccine, 87.7 per cent have received two doses, 4.8 per cent have received one dose, and 7.5 per cent were not vaccinated.
DASHBOARD UDPATES ENDING SOON
Nova Scotia will end its COVID-19 dashboard updates at the end of May.
The dashboard first became active in January 2021.
Until then, COVID-19 data can still be found on the province's COVID-19 online dashboard.
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