HALIFAX -- The number of COVID-19 cases in Nova Scotia has surpassed 500 as the province reports 43 new cases of the virus.
This is the largest one-day spike in COVID-19 cases in the province so far and brings the total number of confirmed cases to 517.
The QEII Health Sciences Centre's microbiology lab completed 1,476 tests on Monday and is operating around the clock.
The confirmed cases range in age from under 10 to over 90.
Fifty-three per cent of cases are female and 47 per cent are male.
Ten people are currently in hospital. Four of those patients are in intensive care units.
Three Nova Scotians have died from complications due to the virus, including a woman in her 70s who died on April 6 and a woman in her 90s who died on April 8.
Both women died at the Cape Breton Regional Hospital in Sydney, N.S., but Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Robert Strang has said the cases were not connected.
The province’s third COVID-19 death was a man in his 80s, who died at the Admiral Long Term Care Centre in Dartmouth, N.S. on Monday.
Health officials say the three individuals all had underlying health issues.
The province says 124 people have recovered from the virus and their cases are considered resolved.
To date, Nova Scotia has 16,755 negative test results and 517 positive COVID-19 test results.
Public health is working to identify and test people who may have come in close contact with the confirmed cases.
Health officials say there are cases across the province. More information about the breakdown of cases is available in an online map.
The map breaks the cases down according to the Nova Scotia Health Authority’s four zones and indicates where testing was conducted, not necessarily where the individuals live.
The central zone, which contains the Halifax Regional Municipality, has seen the largest number of COVID-19 cases. All 43 new cases reported Tuesday were confirmed in the central zone.
- Western zone: 46 cases
- Central zone: 397 cases
- Northern zone: 34 cases
- Eastern zone: 40 cases
Most cases in Nova Scotia are connected to travel or a known case of COVID-19, but there is community spread.
As a result, travel has been removed as a requirement for testing.
The province has also expanded the list of symptoms for which it is screening.
Anyone who experiences two or more of the following symptoms is encouraged to take an online questionnaire to determine if they should call 811 for further assessment.
- Fever
- New or worsening cough
- Sore throat
- Runny nose
- Headache
Anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 must self-isolate, away from the public, for 14 days.
Anyone who travelled outside of the province is also required to self-isolate for two weeks.
