HALIFAX -- Nova Scotia announced three new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday.

Following Friday, when four more Northwood residents died from the virus and seven new cases were announced, the numbers are promising.

The QEII Health Sciences Centre's microbiology lab completed 665 tests on Friday.

To date, Nova Scotia has 35,703 negative test results.

The province will not be holding a news conference during the long weekend.

52 active cases in the province

A total of 1,037 positive cases have been confirmed in Nova Scotia. Of those cases, 930 people have recovered and 55 people have died – this leaves 52 active cases in the province.

Of the 52 active cases, 34 are at the Northwood long-term care facility in Halifax, which currently has 25 residents and nine staff members with active cases of COVID-19. Meanwhile, one other facility has one resident with an active case.

As of Friday, 49 of 55 COVID-19-related deaths in Nova Scotia have been at Northwood.

The province is not reporting any additional deaths at this time.

Reconnecting – safely

Premier Stephen McNeil reminded Nova Scotians to follow guidelines while reconnecting with friends and family during long-weekend.

“Whatever you do this weekend, whether reconnecting with family or chatting with friends from a distance, please do it safely. Continue to follow the rules and don’t take risks,” said McNeil. “Our actions this weekend and every day going forward, will determine how quickly we can reopen our province in the weeks and months to come.”

Chief medical officer, Dr. Robert Strang also congratulated residents for their efforts in reducing COVID-19's spread in the province.

“Thank you to all Nova Scotians for taking this virus seriously. If we remain vigilant, we’ll be able to ease more restrictions and bring some normalcy back to our lives,” said Strang. “Everyone has been following public health’s guidelines, keeping our case numbers headed in the right direction, and that’s why Nova Scotia families can reconnect this weekend.”

What we know about the confirmed cases

Eight people are currently in hospital. Four of those patients are in intensive care units.

The confirmed cases of COVID-19 range in age from under 10 to over 90.

Sixty-two per cent of cases are female and 38 per cent are male.

All new cases announced Saturday are in the central zone, which contains the Halifax Regional Municipality.

The western, northern and eastern zones are reporting no additional cases at this time.

  • Western zone: 54 cases
  • Central zone: 888 cases
  • Northern zone: 44 cases
  • Eastern zone: 51 cases

Public health is working to identify and test people who may have come in close contact with the confirmed 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 outside Nova Scotia must also self-isolate for two weeks.

Nova Scotians who experience two or more of the following symptoms should take an online questionnaire to determine if they should call 811 for further assessment:

  • Fever
  • New or worsening cough
  • Sore throat
  • Runny nose
  • Headache