N.S. reports no new COVID-19 deaths; cases increase, hospitalizations decrease

Nova Scotia is reporting no new COVID-19 related deaths in its weekly update.

However, the province is reporting 12 deaths from previous reporting periods.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, 718 people in Nova Scotia have died of the virus.

The numbers in Thursday's update show a decrease in active COVID-19 hospitalizations but an increase in new cases.

HOSPITALIZATIONS

As of Thursday, Nova Scotia Health (NSH) said there were 36 people in hospital because of COVID-19, compared to 40 the week before. Five of them are receiving treatment in intensive care units.

NSH says 105 people are in hospital for other reasons, but also have COVID-19. The health authority adds that 101 patients who are currently in hospital contracted the virus after their admission.

NSH says its numbers do not include data from the IWK Health Centre.

As of Monday, the median age of a person hospitalized for COVID-19 was 74.

NEW CASES

The province says there were 687 new PCR-confirmed COVID-19 cases from Jan. 17 and 23, compared to the 599 cases reported last week.

VACCINATION

As of Monday, 54 per cent of Nova Scotians had three doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, 82 per cent had two doses, 3.4 per cent had one dose and 14.6 per cent were unvaccinated.

NSH EMPLOYEES OFF WORK

As of Thursday, the health authority says 157 of its employees were off work because they had COVID-19, were awaiting the results of a COVID-19 test, or were exposed to a member of their household who had it.

The regional breakdown of employees off the job Thursday is as follows:

• Western Zone: 28
• Central Zone: 80
• Northern Zone: 27
• Eastern Zone: 22