ATLANTIC

N.S. reports one new COVID-19 infection related to travel outside Atlantic Canada

Leigha Kaiser CTVNewsAtlantic.ca Digital Coordinator

Published Wednesday, March 10, 2021 1:16PM AST Last Updated Wednesday, March 10, 2021 2:03PM AST

Text:

HALIFAX -- Health officials in Nova Scotia are reporting one new case of COVID-19 on Wednesday.

Public health says the case is in the Western zone and is related to travel outside Atlantic Canada. The individual is self-isolating, as required.

“Again, our case count is remaining low – no cases Monday, five cases yesterday and now just one today. This highlights the fact that Nova Scotians are putting in the work to stay safe and healthy,” said Premier Iain Rankin. “Thank you for continuing to look after each other and know that the best way to protect everyone is by continuing to follow public health measures.”

Three of the province's previously reported cases are now considered resolved, dropping the total number of active cases to 24.

“Although our case numbers remain low, we can’t become complacent,” said Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia’s chief medical officer of health. “We need to keep following all public health measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19 as we work to vaccinate all Nova Scotians.”

N.S. CASE DATA

The Nova Scotia Health Authority’s labs completed 2,382 tests on Tuesday.

The province has completed 378,358 tests since the pandemic began.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, there have been 1,665 COVID-19 cases in Nova Scotia. Of those, 1,576 cases have recovered and 65 people have died due to the novel coronavirus.

There is two people in hospital as a result of COVID-19, one of which is in the intensive care unit.

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: 102 cases (4 active case)
Central Zone: 1,344 cases (15 active cases)
Northern Zone: 132 cases (3 active cases)
Eastern Zone: 87 cases (2 active cases)

VACCINE UPDATE

Nova Scotia's COVID-19 online dashboard provides an update on the amount of vaccines that have been administered to date.

According to the dashboard, a single day record 2,325 COVID-19 vaccines were administered Tuesday in Nova Scotia.

As of Wednesday, 42,556 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered so far. Of those, 27,470 were first doses and 15,086 were Nova Scotians receiving their second dose

Of the vaccines administered 31,855 went to health care workers, and 5,334 were long-term care residents.

To date, the province has received a total of 73,680 doses of COVID-19 vaccine, and are holding 10,881 in reserve for second doses and planned clinics.

The province also says they will soon have more vaccine than expected with 38,000 extra doses of Pfizer-BioNtech arriving in the last two weeks of March.

Recently updated guidelines from the National Advisory Committee on Immunization has extended the second dose interval of COVID-19 vaccines to 16 weeks. This change means more Nova Scotians will receive a first dose of vaccine sooner.

UPCOMING RAPID TESTING SITES

Nova Scotia lists the locations for their COVID-19 rapid pop-up testing sites on their website.

Rapid testing in Nova Scotia is offered to people who:

are over 16
do not have symptoms
have not travelled out of province
have not visited a potential exposure location
have not been in contact with someone who has tested positive

Upcoming rapid testing sites include:

Thursday, March 11 at the St. Margaret’s Centre, 12 Westwood Blvd, Upper Tantallon from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Friday, March 12 at the St. Margaret’s Centre, 12 Westwood Blvd, Upper Tantallon from noon to 7:30 p.m.

NOVA SCOTIANS ENCOURAGED TO SEEK ASYMPTOMATIC TESTING

Public health is strongly encouraging Nova Scotians to seek asymptomatic COVID-19 testing, particularly if they have had several social interactions, even with their own social circle.

COVID-19 tests can be booked through the provinces online self-assessment COVID-19 tool, or by calling 811.

People can also visit one of Nova Scotia’s many rapid pop-up testing sites that continue to operate throughout the province.

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: