HALIFAX -- Health officials in Nova Scotia reported a death related to COVID-19 on Friday.

The individual was a woman over 80 in the province's Central zone.

"It’s a stark reminder of the impact of COVID-19 continues to have on our province and a reminder that we need to remain vigilant and follow public health protocols," says Premier Iain Rankin.

To date, Nova Scotia has had 67 deaths connected to the novel coronavirus.

SIX NEW CASES

Nova Scotia is also reporting six new cases of COVID-19 on Friday.

Three cases are in the province's Central zone. One is a close contact of a previously reported case. The other two are related to travel outside Atlantic Canada.

Two cases are in the Eastern and one is in the Western zone - all related to travel outside Atlantic Canada.

All six individuals are self-isolating, as required.

Along with Friday's new cases, an additional case of the B.1.1.7 variant, originally identified in the United Kingdom, has been identified. Public health says the case was previously reported and is included in Nova Scotia's provincial data count, however, the individual is currently out of the province and has no known close contacts in Nova Scotia.

This brings the total number of cases of the U.K. variant in Nova Scotia to 45. The number of South African variant cases remains at 10.

Six of the Nova Scotia's previously reported cases are now considered resolved, leaving the total number of active cases in the province at 42.

NEW MASKING POLICY

Nova Scotia is expanding its mask policy to include outdoor public spaces including restaurant patios, farmer's markets and festivals.

Dr. Robert Strang, the province's chief medical officer of health, said the new masking rule is to help curb the spread of the U.K. variant, which has a higher transmission rate.

N.S. COVID-19 CASE DATA

The Nova Scotia Health Authority’s labs completed 2,032 tests on Thursday. The province has completed 462,026 tests since the pandemic began.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, there have been1,792 COVID-19 cases in Nova Scotia. Of those,1,683 cases have recovered and 67 people have died due to the novel coronavirus.

There is currently three people in hospital due to COVID-19, with no one in the intensive care unit.

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: 125 cases (8 active cases)
  • Central Zone: 1,426 cases (24 active cases)
  • Northern Zone: 136 cases (2 active case)
  • Eastern Zone: 105 cases (8 active cases)

The provincial state of emergency, which was first declared on March 22, 2020, has been extended to May 2, 2021.

VACCINE UPDATE

Nova Scotia's COVID-19 online dashboard provides an update on the amount of vaccines that have been administered to date.

As of Friday, 194,792 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered.

As of Tuesday, the province has received a total of 264,700 doses of COVID-19 vaccine.

NOVA SCOTIANS ENCOURAGED TO SEEK ASYMPTOMATIC TESTING

Public health is strongly encouraging Nova Scotians to seek asymptomatic COVID-19 testing, particularly if they have had several social interactions, even with their own social circle.

COVID-19 tests can be booked through the provinces online self-assessment COVID-19 tool, or by calling 811.

People can also visit one of Nova Scotia’s many rapid pop-up testing sites that continue to operate throughout the province.

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