Nova Scotia reports 50 new COVID-19 cases Thursday, active cases rise to 213

HALIFAX -

Health officials in Nova Scotia are reporting 50 new COVID-19 cases and 17 recoveries on Thursday, as the number of active cases rises to 213.

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

“Nova Scotia Health Authority's public health team is investigating these new cases to understand the circumstances around the increased numbers,” says the province in a release

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

EXPOSURE NOTICE FOR TWO SCHOOLS

Health officials also sent exposure notices for two schools in the province on Wednesday.

The latest school exposures are at Cumberland North Academy in Amherst and Springhill Junior-Senior High in Springhill.

“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 4,012 tests on Wednesday. A total of 1,325,072 COVID-19 tests have been processed since the start of the pandemic.

According to the province's online COVID-19 dashboard, there have been 7,512 cumulative COVID-19 cases in Nova Scotia. Of those, 7,198 people have recovered and 101 have died due to COVID-19.

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

Since Aug. 1, there have been 1,616 positive COVID-19 cases and six deaths. Of the new cases since Aug. 1, 1,396 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: 468 cases (44 active cases)
• Central zone: 5,724 cases (106 active cases)
• Northern zone: 616 cases (44 active cases)
• Eastern zone: 704 cases (19 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, 1,581,328 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered. Of those, 766,001 Nova Scotians have received their second dose.

In total, 83.3 per cent of the province's overall population has received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, while 78.8 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, 2020.

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.

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