Nova Scotia reports 18 cases of COVID-19 on Friday, active cases drop to 162

HALIFAX -

Health officials in Nova Scotia are reporting 18 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, along with 29 recoveries, as the number of active cases in the province drops to 162.

Twelve new cases were identified in the province's Central zone. Ten are close contacts of previously reported cases and two are under investigation.

Health officials say there are signs of community spread among those in Central zone aged 20 to 40 who are unvaccinated and participating in social activities.

Five new cases were identified in the province's Northern zone. Four are close contacts of previously reported cases and one is related to travel.

Public Health says there is a large cluster of linked cases in a defined, unvaccinated group in the Northern zone, and more cases are expected.

One new case was identified in the province's Western zone, and is related to travel.

Public Health says it is closely monitoring all four health zones for community spread.

COVID-19 CASE DATA

Nova Scotia Health Authority's labs completed 3,849 tests on Thursday. A total of 1,168,757 COVID-19 tests have been processed since the start of the pandemic.

According to the province's online COVID-19 dashboard, there have been 6,312 cumulative COVID-19 cases in Nova Scotia. Of those, 6,056 people have recovered and 94 have died due to COVID-19.

There are currently four people in hospital in Nova Scotia due to COVID-19, with no one in an intensive care unit.

Since April 1, there have been 4,570 positive COVID-19 cases and 28 deaths. Of the new cases since April 1, 4,380 are now considered resolved.

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: 318 cases (4 active case)
• Central zone: 4,875 cases (62 active cases)
• Northern zone: 472 cases (92 active cases)
• Eastern zone: 647 cases (4 active cases)

The provincial state of emergency, which was first declared on March 22, 2020, has been extended to Oct. 3, 2021.

BREAKTHROUGH DATA

Public Health reports 'breakthrough cases' weekly. A breakthrough case involves a person becoming COVID-19 positive two weeks after receiving either one or two doses of COVID-19 vaccine.

According to Public Health, there have been 4,609 cases from March 15 to Sept. 16. Of those:

• 99 (2.1 per cent) were fully vaccinated
• 275 (6.0 per cent) were partially vaccinated
• 4,235 (91.9 per cent) were unvaccinated

There were 260 people hospitalized. Of those:

• 3 (1.1 per cent) were fully vaccinated
• 28 (10.8 per cent) were partially vaccinated
• 229 (88.1 per cent) were unvaccinated

Twenty-eight people died. Of those:

• 1 (3.6 per cent) was fully vaccinated
• 3 (10.7 per cent) were partially vaccinated
• 24 (85.7 per cent) were unvaccinated

VACCINE UPDATE

The province's COVID-19 online dashboard provides an update on the number of vaccines that have been administered to date.

As of Friday, 1,480,851 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered.

In total, 79.2 per cent of the province's overall population has received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, while 73.2 per cent of Nova Scotians have received their second dose.

The province says it has received a total of 1,661,340 doses of COVID-19 vaccine since Dec. 15.

All Nova Scotians are encouraged to get vaccinated against COVID-19 as soon as they are eligible. COVID-19 vaccination appointments can be made online or by phone at 1-833-797-7772.

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:

• Sore throat
• Headache
• Shortness of breath
• Runny nose/nasal congestion