Nova Scotia reports 31 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, active cases rise to 171

(AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)

HALIFAX -

Health officials in Nova Scotia are reporting 31 new cases of COVID-19 and five recoveries on Thursday, as the number of active cases in the province rises to 171.

• Seventeen new cases were identified in the province's Central zone.
• Eight new cases were identified in the province's Western zone.
• Three new cases were identified in the province's Northern zone.
• Three new cases were identified in the province's Eastern zone.

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

EXPOSURE NOTICE FOR BEDFORD SCHOOL

Health officials issued an exposure notice for one school in the province on Wednesday.

The latest school exposure is at Rocky Lake Elementary in Bedford.

“It is important to note that an exposure associated with a school does not mean there is spread within the school or that the initial case was first exposed to the virus in the school. As always, all staff, parents and guardians are notified of exposures if a positive case (student, teacher or staff) was at the school while infectious,” said N.S. Health in a release.

A list of schools with exposures is available online.

COVID-19 CASE DATA

Nova Scotia Health Authority's labs completed 2,853 tests on Wednesday. A total of 1,307,324 COVID-19 tests have been processed since the start of the pandemic.

According to the province's online COVID-19 dashboard, there have been 7,328 cumulative COVID-19 cases in Nova Scotia. Of those, 7,057 people have recovered and 100 have died due to COVID-19.

There are currently 10 people in hospital in Nova Scotia due to COVID-19, with one in an intensive care unit.

Since Aug. 1, there have been 1,432 positive COVID-19 cases and six  deaths. Of the new cases since Aug. 1, 1,255 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: 429 cases (29 active cases)
• Central zone: 5,630 cases (102 active cases)
• Northern zone: 581 cases (35 active cases)
• Eastern zone: 688 cases (5 active cases)

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 Thursday, 1,569,889 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered

In total, 83.2 per cent of the province's overall population has received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, while 78.2 per cent of Nova Scotians have received their second dose.

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