HALIFAX -- Nova Scotia reported four new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, all identified in the province's Central Zone.

Nova Scotia Health Authority’s labs completed 2,232 Nova Scotia tests on Tuesday.

Of the four new cases, three are close contacts of previously reported cases. The fourth case is under investigation.

With six previously identified cases now considered resolved, the number of active cases in the province has dropped to 55.

Nova Scotia’s daily new COVID-19 cases have been in the single digits since Dec. 5.

Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Robert Strang and Premier Stephen McNeil will provide an update on COVID-19 at 3 p.m. AT.

FIRST VACCINE ADMINISTERED IN NOVA SCOTIA

A registered nurse is the first person in Nova Scotia to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

Provincial health officials said Danielle Sheaves, a nurse who works in a COVID-19 unit in a Halifax-area hospital, was the first recipient of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine on Wednesday morning. 

The first shots were destined for 350 front-line health workers in Halifax and will be administered at a clinic close to the Dalhousie University campus, where the province's first shipment of the vaccine is being stored.

CASE BREAKDOWN

Since Oct. 1, Nova Scotia has conducted 91,747 tests and confirmed 341 positive COVID-19 cases. Of those, 286 cases are considered resolved, leaving 55 active cases. No one has died during the second wave. There is no one in hospital due to COVID-19.

Since the start of the pandemic, Nova Scotia has completed 214,918 tests, and reported a total of 1,430 cases of COVID-19. Of those, 1,310 cases are now considered resolved and 65 people have died as a result of the novel coronavirus.

The province's confirmed cases range in age from under 10 to over 90.

Fifty-six per cent of cases are female and 44 per cent are male.

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

The provincial government says cumulative cases by zone may change as data is updated in Panorama, the province’s electronic information system.

The numbers reflect where a person lives and not where their sample was collected.

  • Western Zone: 78 cases
  • Central Zone: 1,196 cases
  • Northern Zone: 92 cases
  • Eastern Zone: 64 cases

The provincial state of emergency, which was first declared on March 22, has been extended to Dec. 27.

HOLIDAY RESTRICTIONS

Chief medical officer of health Dr. Robert Strang said Wednesday that Halifax-area restrictions including the closure of in-person restaurant dining will be extended until Sunday night. And on Monday, new restrictions meant to prevent any possible surge of COVID-19 will go into effect provincewide until Jan. 10, he said.

Between Dec. 21 and Jan. 10, in-person dining at restaurants in the Halifax area will remain closed, while restaurants and licensed establishments in the rest of the province will have to stop service by 10 p.m. and close by 11 p.m., Strang said.

Indoor gatherings provincewide will be limited to 10 people, while social events such as festivals and cultural and sports events will not be permitted. Also during the same period, restrictions in the Halifax area limiting the number of shoppers in retail stores will be extended to the entire province.

People are asked to avoid any unnecessary travel, although a recommendation against travel into and out of the Halifax area is now lifted with the condition that people go directly to their destination and stay there.

Faith gatherings, weddings and funeral services will be allowed with a maximum of 150 people outdoors or with 50 per cent of an indoor venue's capacity, for a maximum of 100 people. Receptions for weddings and funerals are not permitted. Museums and libraries will be allowed to open at full capacity as long as physical distancing and other public health measures are followed.

COVID ALERT APP

Canada’s COVID-19 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 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

SELF-ISOLATION AND MANDATORY MASKS

Anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 is required to self-isolate at home, away from the public, for 14 days.

Anyone who travels to Nova Scotia from outside the Atlantic region for non-essential reasons is required to self-isolate for 14 days and must fill out a self-declaration form before coming to the province. Travellers must self-isolate alone, away from others. If they cannot self-isolate alone, their entire household must also self-isolate for 14 days.

Residents of New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador are not required to self-isolate when travelling to Nova Scotia, but they must be prepared to provide proof of their place of residency at provincial borders.

Visitors from outside the Atlantic region who have already self-isolated in another Atlantic province for 14 days may travel to Nova Scotia without having to self-isolate again.

It is mandatory to wear a face mask in indoor public spaces in Nova Scotia.

-- With files from the Canadian Press.