HALIFAX -- Health officials in Nova Scotia are reporting eight new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, increasing the total number of active cases in the province to 27.

Seven of the new cases are in the Central zone. Four of them are close contacts to a previously reported case, while three remain under investigation.

One case is in the Eastern zone and is related to travel outside Atlantic Canada.

“You can see from today’s numbers that the cases are ticking up and so, let me remind all Nova Scotians of the importance of testing. It’s key for detecting cases early on and limiting the spread of COVID-19,” said Premier Iain Rankin. “I encourage you, even if you don’t have symptoms, to book an appointment at one of the primary assessment centres or drop into a pop-up testing site.”

“We have recently started to see new cases with no clear link to travel or a known case. This is increasingly concerning as our case numbers are creeping up,” said Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia’s chief medical officer of health. “I want to remind people of the importance of following all the public health measures, as well as keeping your social circles small and consistent. If you do have several close contacts, consider making testing part of your regular COVID-19 prevention measures.”

Two of the province's previously reported cases are now considered resolved.

N.S. CASE DATA

The Nova Scotia Health Authority’s labs completed 2,969 tests on Wednesday. The province has completed 323,320 tests since the pandemic began.

Since Oct. 1, Nova Scotia has completed 200,142 COVID-19 tests. There have been 535 positive cases and no deaths.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, there have been 1,624 COVID-19 cases in Nova Scotia. Of those, 1,532 cases have recovered and 65 people have died due to the novel coronavirus.

There is one person in hospital because of COVID-19 and they are 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: 99 cases (3 active case)
  • Central Zone: 1,314 cases (21 active cases)
  • Northern Zone: 128 cases (0 active cases)
  • Eastern Zone: 83 cases (3 active cases)

The provincial state of emergency, which was first declared on March 22, 2020, has been extended to March 7, 2021.

UPCOMING RAPID TESTING SITES

Nova Scotia provides the locations for their COVID-19 rapid pop-up testing sites on their website.

Rapid testing in Nova Scotia is offered to people who:

  • Are over 16
  • do not have symptoms
  • have not travelled
  • have not visited a potential exposure location
  • have not been in contact with someone who has tested positive

Upcoming rapid testing sites include:

  • Thursday, Feb. 25 at the Eastern Passage Cow Bays Lion Club 65 Hornes Rd. from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
  • Friday, Feb. 26 at the Eastern Passage Cow Bays Lion Club 65 Hornes Rd. from noon to 7:30 p.m.
  • Friday, Feb. 26 at the Halifax Convention Centre, Argyle St. entrance 3:30 to 9:30 p.m.
  • Saturday, Feb. 27 at the Halifax Convention Centre, Argyle St. entrance 3:30 to 9:30 p.m.
  • Saturday, Feb. 27 at the Elmsdale Fire Hall from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
  • Sunday, Feb. 28 at the Elmsdale Fire Hall from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
  • Sunday,  Feb. 28 at the St. Andrew’s United Church, 6036 Coburg Rd. Halifax from 1:30 to 6:30 p.m.

VACCINE UPDATE

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

As of Thursday, 30,748 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered so far. Of those, 18,982 were first doses and 11,766 were Nova Scotians receiving their second dose.

Of the vaccines administered 22,497 went to health care workers, and 3,160 were long-term care residents.

NOVA SCOTIANS ENCOURAGED TO SEEK ASYMPTOMATIC TESTING

Public health is strongly encouraging Nova Scotians to seek asymptomatic COVID-19 testing, particularly if they have attended 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