HALIFAX -- Health officials in Nova Scotia are reporting 38 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday – the highest single-day case increase the province has seen in just under one year.

Thirty-three cases are in the province's Central zone – two are related to travel outside of Atlantic Canada, while two are connected to international travel.

Nineteen of the cases in the Central zone are close contacts to previously reported cases. Ten of these cases remain under investigation – two of which were identified on Wednesday at Bell Park Academic Centre in Lake Echo and Shannon Park Elementary in Dartmouth, N.S.

Three of Thursday's cases are in the Eastern zone and are related to travel outside of Atlantic Canada.

One case is in the Northern zone related to travel outside of Atlantic Canada.

One is being reported in the Western zone, related to international travel.  

Public health says all travel-related cases are self-isolating, as required.

Six previously reported cases in Nova Scotia are now considered resolved, with the total number of active cases increasing to 111 -- the highest number of active cases the province has reported since December 2020.

Premier Iain Rankin and Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia's chief medical officer of health, are providing a live COVID-19 update at 3:30 AT on Thursday.

ONE NEW VARIANT CASE IDENTIFIED

Unrelated to Thursday’s new cases, Nova Scotia is reporting one new case of the B.1.1.7 variant, first identified in the United Kingdom.

Public health says that case is related to travel.

"There has been a total of 66 cases of the U.K. variant, 12 cases of the South African variant, and one case of the Brazil variant identified in Nova Scotia." said health officials in a news release on Thursday.

N.S. COVID-19 CASE DATA

The Nova Scotia Health Authority’s labs completed 5,879 tests on Wednesday. The province has completed 481,536 tests since the pandemic began.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, there have been 1,894 COVID-19 cases in Nova Scotia. Of those, 1,716 cases have recovered and 67 people have died due to the novel coronavirus.

There are currently three people in hospital due to COVID-19, with no one in the intensive care unit.

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: 130 cases (6 active cases)
  • Central Zone: 1,498 cases (78 active cases)
  • Northern Zone: 140 cases (4 active case)
  • Eastern Zone: 126 cases (23 active cases)

The provincial state of emergency, which was first declared on March 22, 2020, has been extended to May 2, 2021.

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, 247,312 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered. According to the province, 18.9 per cent of the eligible population have received vaccines, with 3.4 per cent having received a second dose.

As of Tuesday, the province has received a total of 320,200 doses of COVID-19 vaccine since Dec. 15, 2020.

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:

  • Sore throat
  • Headache
  • Shortness of breath
  • Runny nose/nasal congestion