HALIFAX -- Nova Scotia is reporting no new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday. There are five active cases of COVID-19 in the province.

This is the fifth day in a row that Nova Scotia has reported no new COVID-19 cases, despite a significant increase in testing.

The Nova Scotia Health Authority labs completed 1,536 Nova Scotia tests on Friday.

The provincial government previously confirmed to CTV News that the recent increase in COVID-19 testing is due to the routine testing of post-secondary students coming to Nova Scotia from outside Atlantic Canada.

All post-secondary students entering Nova Scotia from outside the Atlantic provinces are being tested for COVID-19 three times during their 14-day isolation period.

The province last reported new cases on Monday, with two confirmed cases and two probably cases.

Three of those cases involved university student; one of the confirmed cases involved a student attending Universite Sainte-Anne, and the probable cases involved students from Dalhousie University and Acadia University. The other confirmed case was an individual in the Eastern Zone of the province, and related to travel outside of the Atlantic bubble.

Since then, 4,131 tests have all come back negative.

To date, Nova Scotia has 79,065 negative test results.

There are 1,085 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Nova Scotia, but 1,015 cases are considered resolved, and 65 people have died, leaving five active cases in the province.

No one is currently in hospital as a result of COVID-19.

The province's confirmed cases range in age from under 10 to over 90.

Sixty-one per cent of cases are female and 39 per cent are male.

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: 55 cases
  • central zone: 909 cases
  • northern zone: 67 cases
  • eastern zone: 54 cases

SYMPTOMS AND SELF-ISOLATION

Beginning Friday, Nova Scotia has narrowed the list of symptoms being screened for COVID-19, removing several previous symptoms from the list.

"When we broadened the list, we said we would continue to monitor how COVID-19 presents and adapt the list of symptoms if needed," said Dr. Robert Strang, chief medical officer of health for Nova Scotia. "We have reviewed the symptoms that our confirmed cases were presenting with and are confident that having a narrower list will still allow us to identify people with COVID-19."

As of Friday, the province says Nova Scotians should call 811 for further assessment if they are currently experiencing or have experienced in the past 48 hours:

  • fever or cough (new or worsening)

Or two or more of the following symptoms (new or worsening):

  • sore throat
  • runny nose
  • headache
  • shortness of breath

Previous symptoms that have been removed are: muscle aches, sneezing, nasal congestian/runny nose, hoarse voice, diarrhea, unusual fatigue, loss of sense of smell or taste, or red, purple, or blueish lesions on the feet, toes, or fingers without clear cause.

Anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 is required to self-isolate at home, away from the public, for 14 days.

Anyone who travels to Nova Scotia from outside the Atlantic region is also required to self-isolate for 14 days and must fill out a self-declaration form before coming to the province.

Residents of New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador are not required to self-isolate when travelling to Nova Scotia, but they must be prepared to provide proof of their place of residency at provincial borders.

Visitors from outside the Atlantic region who have already self-isolated in another Atlantic province for 14 days may travel to Nova Scotia without having to self-isolate again.

STATE OF EMERGENCY RENEWED

The provincial state of emergency, which was first declared on March 22, has been extended to September 20, unless government terminates or extends it.