N.S. reports 72 new COVID-19 cases over the weekend, three Halifax-area schools to close

HALIFAX -

Health officials in Nova Scotia are reporting 72 new cases of COVID-19 and 63 recoveries since Friday, as the number of active cases rises to 208.

The province's COVID-19 data dashboard will not be updated on Monday due to a technical issue, said Public Health in a release.

Thirty-one new cases were reported on Oct. 16; 19 new cases on Oct. 17, and 22 new cases are being reported on Oct. 18.

• Fifty-eight new cases were identified in the province's Central zone.
• Eight new cases were identified in the province's Northern zone.
• Five new cases were identified in the province's Western zone.
• One new case was identified in the province's Eastern zone.

Health officials say there is community spread in the Central zone, primarily among people aged 20 to 40 who are unvaccinated and participating in social activities.

Public Health says it is closely monitoring all four health zones for community spread.

THREE HALIFAX-AREA SCHOOLS CLOSE FOR WEEK

Three schools in the Halifax Regional Municipality will close for the rest of the week in order to contain the spread of COVID-19.

In a release sent Monday afternoon, the province announced École Mer et Monde and Joseph Howe Elementary in Halifax will both be closed from Oct. 19 to Oct. 25, to prevent further spread of the virus among the school community.

The schools and public health will share more information later in the week about reopening plans. The principals will contact staff and families about learning from home, which will begin Tuesday, Oct.  19. There are no classes for students on Friday, Oct. 22, as it is a provincial conference day.

Officials say testing would be available at both schools next weekend from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. because next Monday is a school development day.

In a release issued Sunday evening, Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia's chief medical officer of health, recommended the closure of Dartmouth South Academy.

The P-8 school, located at 111 Prince Arthur Ave., will be closed to students from Oct. 18 to Oct. 22 to prevent further spread of the virus among the school community. The pre-primary centre, which is located on a separate site from the school, will remain open.

"While our goal is to keep students learning in the classroom, I was clear that if stronger measures were needed, like closing a school, we would not hesitate to act," said Dr. Strang. "The regional medical officer of health team has been closely monitoring this situation, and they are recommending a temporary closure to contain the spread."

The school and public health will share more information later in the week about reopening plans, and the principal will contact staff and families about learning from home.

With the latest closures, four schools in the Halifax area have been temporarily closed in the last two weeks.

Duc d'Anville Elementary School in Halifax was closed for four days last week after 14 cases of novel coronavirus were linked to the school.

Health officials also sent exposure notices for eight schools in the province since Friday.

The latest school exposures are at Cumberland North Academy in Amherst, École Mer et Monde, Halifax West High, Joseph Howe Elementary, Beechville-Lakeside-Timberlea Elementary and St. Catherine’s Elementary in Halifax, and Portland Estates Elementary and Dartmouth South Academy in Dartmouth.

“It is important to note that an exposure associated with a school does not mean there is spread within the school or that the initial case was first exposed to the virus in the school. As always, all staff, parents and guardians are notified of exposures if a positive case (student, teacher or staff) was at the school while infectious,” said N.S. Health in a release.

A list of schools with exposures is available online. 

COVID-19 CASE DATA

Nova Scotia Health Authority's labs completed 3,557 tests on Oct. 15; 2,755 tests on Oct. 16; and 2,792 tests on Oct. 17.

According to the province's online COVID-19 dashboard, there have been 7,149 cumulative COVID-19 cases in Nova Scotia. Of those, 6,843 people have recovered and 98 have died due to COVID-19.

There are currently 15 people in hospital in Nova Scotia due to COVID-19, with three in an intensive care unit.

Since Aug. 1, there have been 1,253 positive COVID-19 cases and four deaths. Of the new cases since Aug. 1, 1,041 are now considered resolved.

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

The provincial state of emergency, which was first declared on March 22, 2020, has been extended to Oct. 31, 2021.

VACCINE UPDATE

The province's COVID-19 online dashboard provides an update on the number of vaccines that have been administered to date.

As of Monday, 1,547,472 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered. Of those, 747,632 Nova Scotians have received their second dose.

The province says it has received a total of 1,661,340 doses of COVID-19 vaccine since Dec. 15.

All Nova Scotians are encouraged to get vaccinated against COVID-19 as soon as they are eligible. COVID-19 vaccination appointments can be made online or by phone at 1-833-797-7772.

LIST OF SYMPTOMS

Anyone who experiences a fever or new or worsening cough, or two or more of the following new or worsening symptoms, is encouraged to take an online test or call 811 to determine if they need to be tested for COVID-19:

• Sore throat
• Headache
• Shortness of breath
• Runny nose/nasal congestion