Jump to sections in this article:
Overview of today’s cases
Vaccination
Demographics
Testing
Potential exposure advisories
Nova Scotia schools will reopen to students on Jan. 10 with in-person classes. Teachers and other school are required to return on Jan. 4.
“We know that the best place for students is in school where they have continued access to learning and the supports and services they need for their emotional and mental well-being,” said Education Minister Becky Druhan.
Nova Scotia has moved to a new testing and positive case regime. PCR testing is reserved for people at high-risk of serious illness, and everyone else is to use the take-home antigen tests. Those who test positive with the take-home tests are to assume they have COVID, self-isolate, and notify their close contacts themselves. That means that contact tracing has ended at schools.
Additionally, the province announced 561 new cases of COVID-19 today, Tuesday, Dec. 28.
By Nova Scotia Health zone, the new cases break down as:
• 430 Central
• 54 Eastern
• 39 Northern
• 38 Western
There is another case in the Halifax Infirmary outbreak, making a total of six patients having tested positive.
Due to the holiday weekend, hospitalization data are not provided today.
Vaccination
Due to the holiday weekend, vaccination data are not provided today.
Appointments for booster are now open to people 50 and over for whom 168 days have passed since their second shot.
Vaccination appointments for people 5 years of age and older can be booked here.
People in rural areas who need transportation to a vaccination appointment should contact Rural Rides, which will get you there and back home for just $5. You need to book the ride 24 hours ahead of time.
Testing
Nova Scotia Health labs completed 4,292 yesterday, with total positivity rate of 13.1%. It’s hard to assess what that means, given that we don’t yet have an indication of how many people are reporting testing positive with the take-home antigen tests.
The testing protocols have changed. Now, if you test positive with a rapid (antigen) test, you no longer will follow that up with a PCR test. Instead, you are assumed to definitely have COVID, and you and your household are to self-isolate as required.
But take-home rapid testing kits are no longer widely available.
Pop-up testing has been scheduled for the following sites (take-home tests are also available at these sites):
Tuesday, Dec. 28
Halifax Convention Centre, noon-7pm
Alderney Gate, 4-6pm
New Germany Legion, 11am-3pmWednesday, Dec. 29
Halifax Convention Centre, noon-7pm
Alderney Gate, 10am-2pm
Bridgetown Volunteer Fire Department, 1-5pmThursday, Dec. 30
Halifax Convention Centre, noon-7pmFriday, Dec. 31
Halifax Convention Centre, noon-4pm
Alderney Gate, 10am-2pm
Chester Basin Volunteer Fire Department, 11am-5pmSaturday, Jan. 1
Halifax Convention Centre, noon-4pm
The province has announced that more pop-up testing sites will be established across the province, with details to be announced this week.
You can volunteer to work at the pop-up testing sites here or here. No medical experience is necessary.
Potential exposure advisories
School-connected case notifications are paused for the holidays.
There were have been a few COVID exposure advisories.
We’ve collected all the active advisories for potential COVID exposures on bus routes and flights here.
You can zoom in and click on the icons on the map below to get information about each site.
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