ATLANTIC

Nova Scotia reports no new cases of COVID-19 Thursday; active cases drop to 19

Allan April CTVNewsAtlantic.ca writer

Published Thursday, March 11, 2021 1:01PM AST Last Updated Thursday, March 11, 2021 1:06PM AST

A nurse draws a dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine at Northwood’s Halifax campus on Jan. 11, 2021 (Photo: Communications Nova Scotia)

Text:

HALIFAX -- Health officials in Nova Scotia are reporting no new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday.

Five previously reported cases are now considered recovered, as the number of active cases in the province drop to 19.

"Our case numbers have been very promising over these past few days, but let's not become complacent," said Nova Scotia Premier Iain Rankin in a release. "We want to keep up the good work and continue to follow all of the public health measures."

It is the second day this week that Nova Scotia has reported no new cases, as no cases were identified on Monday, with five cases identified Tuesday and one case on Wednesday.

The 19 active cases mark the lowest number of active cases in the province in more than two weeks. The province last reported 19 active cases on Feb. 22.

"Nova Scotians continue to adjust their everyday behaviours to ensure they are following the public health measures," said Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia's chief medical officer of health in a release. "These seemingly small measures collectively help to prevent the spread of the virus and work to protect each other."

N.S. CASE DATA

The Nova Scotia Health Authority’s labs completed 2,625 tests on Wednesday.

The province has completed 380,986 tests since the pandemic began.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, there have been 1,665 COVID-19 cases in Nova Scotia. Of those, 1,581 cases have recovered and 65 people have died due to the novel coronavirus.

There is one person in hospital, in the intensive care unit, because of COVID-19.

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: 102 cases (4 active case)
Central Zone: 1,344 cases (12 active cases)
Northern Zone: 132 cases (3 active cases)
Eastern Zone: 87 cases (no active cases)

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 Thursday, 45,149 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered so far. Of those, 29,766 were first doses and 15,383 Nova Scotians have received their second dose.

Of the vaccines administered 31,855 went to health care workers, and 5,334 were long-term care residents.

To date, the province has received a total of 73,680 doses of COVID-19 vaccine, and are holding 10,881 in reserve for second doses and planned clinics.

The province also says they will soon have more vaccine than expected with 38,000 extra doses of Pfizer-BioNtech arriving in the last two weeks of March.

Recently updated guidelines from the National Advisory Committee on Immunization has extended the second dose interval of COVID-19 vaccines to 16 weeks. This change means more Nova Scotians will receive a first dose of vaccine sooner.

UPCOMING RAPID TESTING SITES

Nova Scotia lists 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 out of province
have not visited a potential exposure location
have not been in contact with someone who has tested positive

Upcoming rapid testing sites include:

Thursday, March 11 at the St. Margaret’s Centre, 12 Westwood Blvd, Upper Tantallon from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Friday, March 12 at the St. Margaret’s Centre, 12 Westwood Blvd, Upper Tantallon from noon to 7:30 p.m.

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: