N.S. reports five new COVID-19 related deaths Tuesday; total of 304 in hospital with virus

Five more Nova Scotians have died as a result of COVID-19.

In a news release on Tuesday, the province says the deaths involve:

• a woman in her 70s in the Central Zone
• a man in his 80s in the Central Zone
• a man in his 80s in the Central Zone
• a man in his 80s in the Central Zone
• a woman in her 80s in the Eastern Zone

"Today we lost five more Nova Scotians to this virus, and I offer my deepest condolences to those who are grieving the loss of a loved one," said Premier Tim Houston. "This virus has taken a lot from us, but we must stay vigilant. We need to slow down our activities, get vaccinated when we can whether that's a first, second or booster dose and strictly follow the public health measures in place. Our actions will protect ourselves and each other."

According to the province's COVID-19 online dashboard, there have been 136 deaths related to COVID-19 since the pandemic began.

"This is another very sad day and I send my sympathies to the loved ones of the five Nova Scotians who died," said Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia's chief medical officer of health.

"This has been a difficult two years for all Nova Scotians. I continue to ask for people's patience, understanding and cooperation. Please respect the public health restrictions and get vaccinated to help slow the spread of this virus."

HOSPITALIZATIONS

Since Monday, public health says there have been 11 new hospital admissions due to COVID-19 and nine discharges.

Currently, there are a total of 304 people in hospital with COVID-19.

Health officials say 92 of those in hospital were admitted due to COVID-19 and are receiving specialized care in a COVID-19 designated unit.

Of the 92 in hospital:

• 15 are in intensive care
• the age range is from zero to 100
• the average age is 68
• the average length of stay in hospital is seven days
• 89 were admitted during the Omicron wave

The vaccination status of the 92 people in hospital is as follows:

• 17 (18.5 per cent) people have had a third dose of COVID-19 vaccine
• 55 (59.8 per cent) are fully vaccinated (two doses)
• three (3.3 per cent) are partially vaccinated
• 17 (18.5 per cent) are unvaccinated

"It is important to note that less than 10 per cent of Nova Scotians are unvaccinated," reads a release from public health.

Health officials say there are also two additional groups of people in hospital related to COVID-19, which include:

• 92 people who were identified as positive upon arrival at hospital but were admitted for another medical reason, or were admitted for COVID-19 but no longer require specialized care
• 120 people who contracted COVID-19 after being admitted to hospital

VACCINATION UPDATE

As of Monday, 2,048,961 doses of COVID-19 vaccine had been administered.

Of those, 90.9 per cent of Nova Scotians have received their first dose, and 83.3 per cent have received their second dose.

Public health says 46.8 per cent of Nova Scotians 18 and older have received a booster dose, and 9.6 per cent have booked a booster dose appointment.

CASES AND TESTING

On Monday, Nova Scotia Health Authority (NSHA) labs completed 3,154 tests. An additional 492 new lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 are being reported.

The new case numbers by zone are as follows:

• 234 cases in Central Zone
• 62 cases in Eastern Zone
• 80 cases in Northern Zone
• 116 cases in Western Zone

As of Tuesday, there are an estimated 4,250 active cases of COVID-19 in Nova Scotia.

The province did not provide the numbers of recoveries on Tuesday.

LONG-TERM CARE OUTBREAKS

Nova Scotia is also reporting two outbreaks at long-term care facilities.

Those include:

• two residents and one staff member at Villa Acadienne in Meteghan
• two staff members at My Cape Breton Home for Seniors (Westmount) in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality

"Public health is working with the facilities to prevent further spread. Increased public health measures and restrictions are in place," said the province in a release.

COVID ALERT APP

Canada’s COVID Alert app is available in Nova Scotia.

The app, which can be downloaded through the Apple App Store or Google Play, notifies users if they may have been exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.

LIST OF SYMPTOMS

Anyone who experiences a new or worsening cough, or who has two or more of the following symptoms, needs to self-isolate and take an online COVID-19 self-assessment test, or call 811, to determine if they need to be tested for COVID-19:

• fever (chills, sweats)
• sore throat
• headache
• shortness of breath
• runny nose/nasal congestion