Nova Scotia reports a total of 280 people in hospital with COVID-19 Friday; 13 in ICU
Nova Scotia health officials are reporting an additional 16 COVID-19 related hospital admissions on Friday, bringing the total number of people in hospital with the virus to 280.
In a release, public health says 94 of those in hospital were admitted due to COVID-19 and are receiving specialized care in a COVID-19 designated unit.
Of the 94 in hospital:
- 13 are in intensive care
- the age range is zero to 100 years old
- the average age is 68
- the average length of stay of those admitted to hospital is 6.9 days
- 89 were admitted during the Omicron wave
The vaccination status of the 94 people who were admitted to hospital due to COVID-19 is as follows:
- 11 (11.7 per cent) people have had a third dose of COVID-19 vaccine
- 60 (63.8 per cent) are fully vaccinated (two doses)
- four (4.3 per cent) are partially vaccinated
- 19 (20.2 per cent) are unvaccinated
Public health says there are also an additional:
- 73 people who were identified as positive upon arrival at hospital but were admitted for another medical reason, or were admitted for COVID-19 but no longer require specialized care
- 113 people who contracted COVID-19 after being admitted to hospital
Since Thursday, there have been three people discharged from hospital in Nova Scotia.
"It is important to note that less than 10 per cent of Nova Scotians are unvaccinated," reads a release from public health on Friday.
Public health says due to technical issues, vaccine data will not be made available on Friday. Vaccine numbers will be updated on Monday.
CASES AND TESTING
On Thursday, Nova Scotia Health Authority (NSHA) labs completed 3,975 tests. An additional 601 new lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 are being reported.
There are an estimated 5,241 active cases of COVID-19 in Nova Scotia and the numbers by zone are as follows:
- 269 cases in the Central zone
- 120 cases in the Eastern zone
- 49 cases in the Northern zone
- 163 cases in the Western zone
The province did not provide the number of recoveries on Friday.
HOSPITAL OUTBREAKS
The NSHA is reporting additional cases related to outbreaks at two hospitals.
Those cases include:
- one additional patient in a ward at Cape Breton Regional Hospital, where fewer than 10 patients have tested positive
- one additional patient in a ward at the Victoria General site of the QEII Health Sciences Centre, where fewer than 10 patients have tested positive
STATE OF EMERGENCY RENEWED
Nova Scotia's state of emergency, which was originally declared on March 22, 2020, has been extended until at least Feb. 6.
COVID ALERT APP
Canada’s COVID 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 new or worsening cough, or who has two or more of the following symptoms, needs to self-isolate and take an online COVID-19 self-assessment test, or call 811, to determine if they need to be tested for COVID-19:
- fever (chills, sweats)
- sore throat
- headache
- shortness of breath
- runny nose/nasal congestion
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
Blind Sask. boy heading to international braille competition hopes to increase accessibility for visually impaired
A Saskatchewan boy who qualified for an international braille competition in Los Angeles next month hopes he can inspire change in his home province.
'A step forward': New screening criteria for sperm donors takes effect
Canadians looking to grow their families with the assistance of sperm or egg donations should soon have more options for donors as the federal health agency does away with longstanding restrictions criticized as discriminatory.