N.S. reports five new deaths related to COVID-19 Monday, 92 people in hospital

Nova Scotia reported five new deaths related to COVID-19 Monday. The deaths involved:

• a woman in her 60s in Central zone
• a man in his 70s in Central zone
• a man in his 70s in Western zone
• a man in his 90s in Central zone
• a woman in her 90s in Western zone

“This has been a tragic weekend. My heart is breaking for the loved ones, friends and families of the five Nova Scotians who have died,” said Premier Tim Houston in a news release.

“This is an awful reminder of how serious COVID-19 can be and we need to do better to protect everyone from this virus. Please get vaccinated and get your booster as soon as you can, slow down your activities and follow all of the public health measures in place.”

The province also reported 15 new hospital admissions and a total of 92 people in hospital who were admitted due to COVID-19 and are receiving specialized care in a COVID-19 designated unit.

Of those in hospital:

• 14 people are in intensive care
• The age range is 18-100 years old
• The average age is 67
• The average length of stay of people admitted to hospital due to COVID-19 is 6.8 days

Of the 92 people in hospital, 89 were admitted during the Omicron wave.

There are also two other groups of people in hospital related to COVID-19:

• 93 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
• 119 people who contracted COVID-19 after being admitted to hospital

VACCINATION UPDATE

As of Jan. 23, 2,037,609 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered. Of those, 90.9 per cent of Nova Scotians have received their first dose, and 83.3 per cent have received their second dose.

As well, 43.2 per cent of Nova Scotians 18 and older have received a booster dose, and 9.1 per cent have booked a booster dose appointment.

The vaccination status of those in hospital is:

• 15 (16.3 per cent) people have had a third dose of COVID-19 vaccine
• 57 (62.0 per cent) are fully vaccinated (two doses)
• 3 (3.3 per cent) are partially vaccinated
• 17 (18.5 per cent) are unvaccinated

CASES AND TESTING

On Jan. 23, Nova Scotia Health Authority (NSHA) labs completed 2,835 tests. An additional 362 new lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 are being reported.

The new case numbers by zone are as follows:

• 165 cases in Central Zone
• 45 cases in Eastern Zone
• 61 cases in Northern Zone
• 91 cases in Western Zone

From January 22 and 23, 30 of the 1,005 positive lab results were repeat positives.

As of Monday, there are an estimated 4,470 active cases of COVID-19 in Nova Scotia.

HOSPITAL AND LONG-TERM CARE OUTBREAKS

The Nova Scotia Health Authority is reporting additional cases related to the outbreaks in two hospitals:

• seven additional patients in a ward at Yarmouth Regional Hospital; a total of 14 patients have now tested positive
• one additional patient in a ward at the Victoria General site of the QEII Health Sciences Centre; a total of 10 patients have now tested positive

The province is reporting one outbreak in a long-term care facility: three residents at Northwood in Halifax.

“Public health is working with the facility to prevent further spread. Increased public health measures and restrictions are in place,” reads a release from the province.