Testing burnout, fewer cases, and weather are dragging testing totals down in N.S.
It didn't take long to get tested for COVID-19 in Glace Bay, N.S., on Wednesday.
A stark contrast to the long line-ups and wait times across the province a month ago.
"Provincially, we would like to see around 5,000 or 6,000 tests a day," Andrew Heighton, the COVID response director in Nova Scotia's Eastern health zone.
That's a number the province aims for in polymerase chain reaction (PCR) swabs in the lab.
Heighton says testing burnout, fewer COVID-19 cases being reported, and the weather are all factors people are staying away.
"Testing gives us the opportunity to identify any pockets that are existing in our communities, so we can put our resources where they're needed," Heighton said.
In Halifax on Wednesday, most sites only had a few people in line.
Dr. Robert Strang said the virus is still here and people need to remain vigilant.
In Glace Bay, the testing site at the Savoy Theatre is open again Thursday and Friday. This as an area that has seen its fair share of COVID-19 cases. The mayor of the CBRM says it's important people make testing part of their weekly routine.
"We're feeling a bit more secure, but that does not mean we can rest on our laurels and think it's all over," said CBRM mayor Amanda McDougall. "We have to continue with those practices."
Vaccinations and testing are the way through this pandemic and preventing a fourth wave of a virus that continues to create uncertainty.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.