Nova Scotia reports 19 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, active cases drop to 127

HALIFAX -

Health officials in Nova Scotia are reporting 19 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, along with 29 recoveries, as the number of active cases in the province drops to 127.

"You only have to look at our case numbers to see that most people contracting COVID-19 have not been vaccinated," said Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia's chief medical officer of health in a news release. "Vaccination is the absolute best way to protect yourself and those around you. To everyone who is fully vaccinated - thank you. To all those who are not - please don't wait."

Fourteen new cases were identified in the province's Central zone. Of the new cases, five are close contacts of previously reported cases and nine are under investigation.

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

Two new cases were identified in the province's Northern zone, both involving close contacts of previously reported cases

Two new cases were identified in the province's Eastern zone. One is a close contact of a previously reported case and one is under investigation.

One new case was identified in the province's Western zone and is under investigation

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 4,182 tests on Tuesday. A total of 1,184,868 COVID-19 tests have been processed since the start of the pandemic.

According to the province's online COVID-19 dashboard, there have been 6,411 cumulative COVID-19 cases in Nova Scotia. Of those, 6,190 people have recovered and 94 have died due to COVID-19.

There are currently 10 people in hospital in Nova Scotia due to COVID-19, with no one in an intensive care unit.

Since April 1, there have been 4,669 positive COVID-19 cases and 28 deaths. Of the new cases since April 1, 4,514 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: 326 cases (7 active case)
• Central zone: 4,937 cases (86 active cases)
• Northern zone: 492 cases (27 active cases)
• Eastern zone: 655 cases (8 active cases)

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

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 Wednesday, 1,490,853 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered.

In total, 79.7 per cent of the province's overall population has received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, while 73.8 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