ATLANTIC

Nova Scotia announces two new COVID-19 cases, drop in total active cases to 41

CTV Atlantic

Brandon Young CTVNewsAtlantic.ca writer

Published Sunday, December 20, 2020 2:04PM AST Last Updated Sunday, December 20, 2020 4:09PM AST

The Nova Scotia Health Authority’s labs completed 1,409 tests on Saturday. Since Oct. 1, Nova Scotia has done 98,238 tests. There have been 356 confirmed cases of COVID-19, and no deaths.

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HALIFAX -- Nova Scotia has announced two new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, and a drop in the total number of active cases in the province to 41.

According to the province’s website, 1,339 previously reported cases are now considered resolved.

“It is encouraging to see low case numbers as we start a new phase of guidelines and restrictions tomorrow,” said Premier Stephen McNeil. “We can do our part to contain the virus by following these protocols that are designed to keep our social gatherings small and our communities safe.”

On Sunday, the province announced that one of new cases is in the Northern Zone, which is related to travel outside of Atlantic Canada; the individual is self-isolating. Meanwhile, the other case is in the Central Zone and is under investigation.

Nova Scotia’s chief medical officer of health Dr. Robert Strang noted that safety must be a priority during the holiday season throughout the province.

“Through the holiday season, we all need to make some sacrifices to prevent the virus from spreading,” said Strang. “Let’s show how much we care about each other and our communities by keeping our gatherings small and following all the public health measures.”

RESTRICTION UPDATE

New restrictions come into effect at 12:00 a.m. on Monday. Most of the restrictions apply provincewide.

In areas of Halifax Regional Municipality and Hants County, restaurants, licensed establishments and the Halifax casino remain closed until Jan. 10.

The complete list of restrictions is available online.

N.S. COVID-19 TESTS

The Nova Scotia Health Authority’s labs completed 1,409 tests on Saturday.

Since Oct. 1, Nova Scotia has done 98,238 tests. There have been 356 confirmed cases of COVID-19, and no deaths.

Since the pandemic began, there have been 1,445 cumulative confirmed cases, and 65 deaths.

There is no one in hospital due to COVID-19, and there are 41 active cases as of Sunday.

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

Fifty-six per cent of cases are female, and 44 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, although none of Saturday’s new cases are in the Central Zone.

The provincial government says cumulative cases by zone may change as data is updated in Panorama, the province’s electronic information system.

On Saturday, adjustments were made in Panorama, which resulted in two positive cases being removed from Nova Scotia’s total case count.

The numbers reflect where a person lives and not where their sample was collected.

Western Zone: 81 cases
Central Zone: 1205 cases
Northern Zone: 94 cases
Eastern Zone: 65 cases

The provincial state of emergency, which was first declared on March 22, has been extended to Dec. 27.

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: