HALIFAX -- For the first time in nearly two months, Nova Scotia announced no new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, with active cases dropping to 28 throughout the province.

On Sunday, the province made the announcement and mentioned that a case reported on Thursday in the Central Zone is a resident of another province or territory and is being removed from the province’s cumulative data.

Sunday’s lack of new cases prompted Premier Stephen McNeil to encourage residents to remain diligent, while recognizing the efforts they have made.

“Seeing a low number of cases recently and now none today reflects the good work of Nova Scotians in following the public health protocols,” said McNeil in a release issued on Sunday. “Monday is a big day in our province with students returning to school. We can all help protect our students, teachers, and staff by staying vigilant- wearing a mask, limiting social contacts, distancing, washing our hands and staying home if feeling unwell.”

The last day no new cases of COVID-19 were reported in Nova Scotia was Nov. 12, 2020.

Nova Scotia’s chief medical officer of health Dr. Robert Strang, also highlighted the milestone.

“It’s been over eight weeks since we last reported no new cases of COVID-19 in Nova Scotia,” said Dr.Strang in a release issued on Sunday. “I’m pleased to see that we have no new cases today, but we are not out of the woods yet. If we want to continue this trend of little to no new cases, we must follow all the public health measures.”

N.S. COVID-19 TESTS

The Nova Scotia Health Authority’s labs completed 1,343 tests on Saturday.

Nova Scotia has done 250,158 tests. Cumulatively, there have been 1,528 confirmed cases of COVID-19, and 65 total deaths.

There is no one in hospital due to COVID-19.

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

Fifty-five per cent of cases are female, and 45 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: 87 cases
  • Central Zone: 1257 cases
  • Northern Zone: 112 cases
  • Eastern Zone: 72 cases

The provincial state of emergency, which was first declared on March 22, has been extended to Jan. 24, 2021.

TESTING FOR POST-SECONDARY STUDENTS

Post-secondary students returning to Nova Scotia from anywhere except Prince Edward Island or Newfoundland and Labrador are strongly encouraged to book a COVID-19 test for day six, seven, or eight of their 14-day self-isolation period. COVID-19 testing appointments can be booked up to three days in advance.

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