ATLANTIC

N.S. sees increase in COVID-19 testing as post-secondary students arrive; no new cases reported

Andrea Jerrett CTVNewsAtlantic.ca Digital Producer

Published Thursday, August 27, 2020 12:22PM ADT Last Updated Thursday, August 27, 2020 12:24PM ADT

A health-care worker performs a test at a drive-thru COVID-19 assessment centre at the Etobicoke General Hospital in Toronto on Tuesday, April 21, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

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HALIFAX -- Nova Scotia reported no new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, despite having tested more than 700 people on Wednesday.

There are still five active cases of the disease in the province.

The QEII Health Sciences Centre's microbiology lab completed 770 Nova Scotia tests on Wednesday. No new cases were identified.

The provincial government confirmed to CTV News that there has been an increase in the number of COVID-19 tests conducted this week as post-secondary students arrive in Nova Scotia.

The province announced last week that all university and NSCC students from outside the Atlantic provinces will be tested for COVID-19 three times during their 14-day self-isolation period.

To date, Nova Scotia has 73,145 negative test results.

The province last reported a new case of COVID-19 on Wednesday, in the Nova Scotia Health Authority's northern zone. The case is a close contact of another COVID-19 case in the northern zone.

There are 1,081 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Nova Scotia, but 1,011 cases are considered resolved, and 65 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.

No one is currently 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: 909 cases
northern zone: 65 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: