10 new cases announced in Nova Scotia: new restrictions imposed in Halifax area

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Untraceable outbreaks in multiple communities in the Halifax area have prompted Nova Scotia’s Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Robert Strang to impose new restrictions on the Halifax area.

The new restrictions are:

• restaurants and licensed establishments must stop service by 9 p.m. and close by 10 p.m.
• faith-based gatherings can have 150 outdoors or 50 per cent capacity to a maximum of 100 indoors
• wedding ceremonies and funerals can have 10 people including the officiant but there can be no wedding receptions and no funeral visitation or receptions
• sports events, special events, arts and culture events and festivals are not permitted
• sports practices and training and arts and culture rehearsals can have 25 people without physical distancing but there can be no games, competitions, tournaments or in-person performances and there can be no spectators
• there can be no more than 25 people involved in a virtual performance, including performers and people managing the recording or livestream
• business and organized club meetings and training can have 25 people – physical distancing is required except when emergency responders need to be closer than two metres for training
• residents in long-term care homes can only have visits from their designated caregivers and can only leave for medical appointments or for a drive

The new restrictions are specific to the same areas that saw enhanced restrictions in December — HRM south to Hubbarbs, north to Elmsdale, and east to Porters Lake. A detailed map will soon be added to this webpage. In the rest of the province outside that area, the existing restrictions still apply.

The restrictions come as 10 new cases of COVID-19 are announced in Nova Scotia today (Friday, Feb. 26).

Nine of those cases in Nova Scotia Health’s Central Zone — five are close contacts of previously announced cases, three are under investigation, and one is related to travel outside Atlantic Canada.

The tenth case is in the Western Zone and is related to travel outside Atlantic Canada.

The active cases are distributed as follows:

• 11 in the Halifax Peninsula / Chebucto Community Health Network in the Central Zone
• 6 in the Dartmouth/ Southeastern Community Health Network in the Central Zone
• 7 in the Bedford/Sackville Community Health Network in the Central Zone
• 4 in the Cape Breton Community Health Network in the Eastern Zone
• 3 in the Annapolis and Kings Community Health Network in the Western Zone

Four cases aren’t ascribed to a community health network.

The new cases are of the following demographics:

• 6 aged 20-39 (three women and three men)
• 2 aged 40-59 (both are men)
• 2 aged 60-79 (one woman and one man)

There are now 35 known active cases in the province, and one person remains in hospital with the disease, and that person is in ICU.

Nova Scotia Health labs conducted 2,797 tests yesterday.

As of end of day yesterday, 32,019 doses of vaccine have been administered — 19,914 first doses and 12,105 second doses.

Here are the new daily cases and seven-day rolling average (today at 3.1) since the start of the second wave (Oct. 1):

And here is the active caseload for the second wave:

Today, Public Health issued another potential COVID exposure advisory, as follows:

Anyone who worked at or visited the following location on the specified date and time are required to self-isolate immediately, regardless of whether or not you have COVID-19 symptoms, and book a COVID-19 test by visiting covid-self-assessment.novascotia.ca. You can also call 811 if you don’t have online access or if you have other symptoms that concern you.

You are also required to self-isolate while waiting for your test result.

If you get a negative result, you do not need to keep self-isolating. If you get a positive result, you will be contacted by Public Health about what to do next.

• 2 Doors Down Food & Wine (1533 Barrington St, Halifax) on Feb. 20 between 7:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. It is anticipated that anyone exposed to the virus at this location on the named date may develop symptoms up to, and including, March 6.

Here is the updated potential exposure map:

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