HALIFAX -- The Nova Scotia Health Authority has opened eight COVID-19 assessment centres across the province.
There are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Nova Scotia at this time, but health officials are taking precautions.
The NSHA says the dedicated assessment centres, which opened Tuesday, will further support efforts to identify and contain the coronavirus in Nova Scotia.
The centres are open at the following locations, some in a hospital setting but detached from the emergency rooms:
- Cape Breton Regional Hospital, Sydney
- Valley Regional Hospital, Kentville
- South Shore Regional Hospital, Bridgewater
- Yarmouth Regional Hospital, Yarmouth
- Colchester East Hants Health Centre, Truro
- East Side Collaborative Practice, New Glasgow
- Cumberland Regional Health Care Centre, Amherst
- Cobequid Community Health Centre, Lower Sackville
The NSHA says additional assessment centres will open in the coming days.
“We expedited opening these COVID-19 assessment centres to respond to increased assessment demand as a result of the change in national screening protocols,” said Dr. Todd Hatchette, chief of microbiology for the Nova Scotia Health Authority, in a statement Tuesday.
Under the new national screening protocols, anyone who has travelled outside Canada should closely monitor their health for 14 days after returning to the country. Travellers who feel unwell are encouraged to stay home and self-isolate.
Nova Scotia is also restricting visitors who have travelled outside the country in the last 14 days from entering long-term care homes.
What do I do if I'm experiencing symptoms?
Nova Scotians who have travelled outside of Canada and are experiencing symptoms should call 811, which will refer the caller to a COVID-19 assessment centre, if necessary.
There, a patient will be evaluated and a decision will be made about whether or not they should tested, says Bethany McCormick, the NSHA's senior director of strategy.
"If a person is directed to a centre, a physical assessment will be performed on site and a swab will be taken, depending on the results of the assessment," said McCormick.
Right now it takes about 48 hours for a test result in Nova Scotia to come back
The NSHA says people should not go to a COVID-19 assessment centre without a referral from 811.
They are also asking people not to inundate the 811 health line if they are simply looking for information, as wait times are growing longer for those who actually may be symptomatic.
Instead, anyone seeking information about COVID-19 can call the national information line at 1-833-784-4397.
What are the symptoms and how can I prevent it from spreading?
According to the World Health Organization, the most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, tiredness and dry cough.
WHO says some patients may also experience aches and pains, nasal congestion, a runny nose, sore throat, or diarrhea, while some people don’t develop any symptoms and feel fine.
WHO says most people with COVID-19 -- roughly 80 per cent -- recover from the disease without needing special treatment. About 1 in 6 people with the disease will become seriously ill and develop difficulty breathing.
The Nova Scotia government says residents should follow these steps in order prevent the spread of COVID-19:
- practise good handwashing hygiene
- use cough and sneeze etiquette
- avoid touching your face
- minimize close face-to-face contact with people who appear ill
- stay away from others if you feel unwell
- regularly clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces
