HALIFAX -- A volunteer firefighter with a department in Nova Scotia's Pictou County is self-isolating as a result of possible exposure to the province's latest case of COVID-19.
Scotsburn Fire Chief Tim VanVeen says he was notified Wednesday morning that a firefighter in his department works with someone who has tested positive for the virus.
The firefighter contacted provincial Public Health through the 811 line and is waiting for an appointment to be tested.
As a precaution, VanVeen says he notified 15 other members of the Scotsburn Fire Department of the potential COVID-19 exposure. He says those firefighters had attended a training session Monday evening.
“And we’ve already gone to the fire hall and sanitized and sterilized the equipment as best as we could that we knew got touched Monday night at training,” says VanVeen.
The volunteer fire department has 33 members. VanVeen says he’s hoping the firefighter receives a negative test result, especially since the firefighter lives with two other members of the department, who are also family members. They are now also self-isolating as a precaution.
“We’re doing all that we can do to stay safe,” says VanVeen.
NOVA SCOTIA REPORTS 1 NEW COVID-19 CASE
The Nova Scotia government confirmed Wednesday that a new case of COVID-19 has been identified in the Nova Scotia Health Authority’s northern zone, which includes Pictou County.
According to a news release, Public Health is investigating the latest case.
There are now five active cases of COVID-19 in Nova Scotia, all of which are in the northern zone. The province hasn’t said whether all five active cases are in Pictou County.
The northern zone has now seen a total of 62 confirmed cases of COVID-19.
The QEII Health Sciences Centre's microbiology lab completed 448 Nova Scotia tests on Tuesday.
To date, Nova Scotia has 69,312 negative test results.
There are now 1,076 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Nova Scotia, but 1,007 cases are considered resolved, and 64 people have died, leaving five active cases in the province.
Among the 64 Nova Scotians who died from COVID-19 are 53 residents of the Northwood long-term care home in Halifax. The outbreak at Northwood is considered resolved.
There are no patients in hospital as a result of COVID-19.
The province's confirmed cases range in age from under 10 to over 90.
Sixty-one per cent of cases are female and 39 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: 54 cases
- central zone: 907 cases
- northern zone: 62 cases
- eastern zone: 53 cases
SYMPTOMS AND SELF-ISOLATION
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 is also required to self-isolate for 14 days and must fill out a self-declaration form before coming to the province.
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.
Anyone who experiences one of the following symptoms is encouraged to take an online test to determine if they should call 811 for further assessment:
- fever (i.e. chills, sweats)
- cough or worsening of a previous cough
- sore throat
- headache
- shortness of breath
- muscle aches
- sneezing
- nasal congestion/runny nose
- hoarse voice
- diarrhea
- unusual fatigue
- loss of sense of smell or taste
- red, purple or blueish lesions on the feet, toes or fingers without clear cause
The provincial state of emergency, which was first declared on March 22, has been extended to Aug. 23.