133 new cases of COVID-19 are announced in Nova Scotia on Sunday, May 2

Jump to sections in this article:
Overview
Gathering limit violations
Demographics
Testing
Vaccination
Schools
Potential exposure advisories

One-hundred-and-thirty-three new cases of COVID-19 are announced in Nova Scotia today (Sunday, May 2).

Of the new cases, 117 are in Nova Scotia Health’s Central Zone, nine are in the Eastern Zone, one is in the Northern Zone, and six are in the Western Zone.

Because the numbers are so large, Public Health is no longer able to provide the cause of cases (i.e., travel related, close contacts, etc.) by the time the release comes out.

There are now 822 known active cases in the province. Thirty-four people are in hospital with the disease, and six of those are in ICU.

Here are the daily new case numbers and the seven-day rolling averages (today at 93.6) for the current outbreak, dating from March 28, the last day Nova Scotia had zero new daily cases:

And here’s the graph of daily new cases and the seven-day rolling average since the start of the second wave (Oct. 1):

Here’s the graph of daily new case numbers from the start of the pandemic in March 2020:

Here is the active caseload for the current outbreak:

Here is the active caseload for the second wave on Oct. 1:

And here is the active caseload from the start of the pandemic in March 2020:

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Gathering limit violations

Last night, Halifax police were called to three different locations for noise complaints, and then issued a total of 17 tickets for violation of the Health Protection Act, at these locations:

• seven people on the 6000 block of Cedar Street, Halifax
• five people on the 2300 block of Brunswick Street,  Halifax
• Six people on the 1000 block of Bland Street,  Halifax

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Demographics

Today’s reported 133 cases are in the following demographics:
• 37 aged 19 or younger (19 girls or women, 18 boys or men)
• 48 aged 20-39 (24 women, 24 men)
• 31 aged 40-59 (18 women, 13 men)
• 16 aged 60-79 (8 women, 8 men)
• 1 aged 80 or over (a woman)

The active cases are distributed as follows:

• 246 in the Halifax Peninsula/Chebucto Community Health Network in the Central Zone
• 303 in the Dartmouth/Southeastern Community Health Network in the Central Zone
• 57 in the Bedford/Sackville Community Health Network in the Central Zone
• 22 in the Eastern Shore/Musquodoboit Community Health Network in the Central Zone
• 5 is in the West Hants Community Health Network in the Central Zone
• 54 in the Cape Breton Community Health Network in the Eastern Zone
• 12 in the Inverness, Victoria & Richmond Community Health Network in the Eastern Zone
• 1 in the Antigonish & Guysborough Community Health Network in the Eastern Zone
• 10 in the Colchester/East Hants Community Health Network in the Northern Zone
• 7 in the Pictou Community Health Network in the Northern Zone
• 10 in the Annapolis and Kings Community Health Network in the Western Zone
• 9 in the Lunenburg & Queens Community Health Network in the Western Zone
• 5 in the Yarmouth, Shelburne & Digby Community Health Network in the Western Zone

Eighty-one cases are not assigned to a Community Health Network, but they are in the Central Zone.

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Testing

Nova Scotia Health labs completed 15,832 tests yesterday. This figure does not include the tests taken at the various pop-up testing sites.

For the next few days, the only people who should be booking PCR tests are the following:

• anyone with symptoms
• anyone who has been notified that they are a close contact of a known case
• anyone who has been at an exposure location
• anyone who has travelled outside Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador.

If people who are not in the above categories have a PCR test booked, they should cancel it (yesterday’s advice that they merely not show up has been withdrawn). Everyone not in those categories should instead go to a rapid-testing pop-up site.

You do not need a health card to get tested.

Pop-up testing (antigen testing) is for asymptomatic people over 16 who have not been to the potential COVID exposure sites (see map below); results usually within 20 minutes. Pop-up testing has been scheduled for the following sites:

Sunday
Alderney Gate Public Library, noon-7pm
Halifax Central Library, noon-7pm
Halifax Convention Centre, noon-7pm
Cineplex Bridgewater, noon-6pm
John Martin School (Dartmouth), noon-6pm
Centre 200, 481 George St, Sydney, noon-4pm

Monday
John Martin School (Dartmouth), noon-7pm
Cineplex Bridgewater, 1-6pm
Centre 200 (Sydney), 3-7pm
Alderney Gate Public Library, noon-7pm
Halifax Central Library, noon-7pm
Halifax Convention Centre, noon-7pm

Tuesday
Alderney Gate Public Library, noon-7pm
Halifax Central Library, noon-7pm
Halifax Convention Centre, noon-7pm

Wednesday
Alderney Gate Public Library, noon-7pm
Halifax Central Library, noon-7pm
Halifax Convention Centre, noon-7pm

You can volunteer to work at the pop-up testing sites here. No medical experience is necessary.

Those who fall into the categories that require PCR testing can get tests at  the Public Health Mobile Units or the Nova Scotia Health labs.

Public Health Mobile Units are available only for pre-booked appointments for PCR tests for people of all ages (results within three days). The units have the following schedule:

Knights of Columbus (3236 Plummer Ave., New Waterford)
Monday, 10am-6pm
Tuesday, 10am-6pm

You can also get PCR testing at the Nova Scotia Health labs by going here. Appointments can be made for the IWK, or for various locations in the health zones (appointments may not be available at each site):

Central Zone
Bayers Lake (41 Washmill Lake Drive)
Burnside/Dartmouth Crossing (77 Finnian Row)
Canada Games Centre
Dartmouth General Hospital Drive-Thru (No Taxis)
Eastern Shore Memorial Hospital
Mayflower Curling Club
Musquodoboit Valley Memorial Hospital
Saint Mary’s University (Homburg Centre)
Twin Oaks Memorial Hospital (Musquodoboit Harbour)
Zatzman Sportsplex

Northern Zone
Colchester Legion Stadium (14 Lorne Street, Truro)
Truro (625 Abenaki Road, with drive-thru at 600 Abenaki Road)
Truro Farmers Market Drive-Thru testing
Amherst (34 Prince Arthur Street)
Pictou County Assessment Center (678 East River Rd, New Glasgow)

Eastern Zone
Antigonish Market Square
Buchanan Memorial Community Health Centre (Neils Harbour)
Eastern Memorial Hospital (Canso)
Grand Lake Road Fire Hall (Sydney)
Inverness Consolidated Memorial Hospital
Membertou Entertainment Centre
Northside General Hospital (North Sydney)
Sacred Heart Community Health Centre (Cheticamp)
Strait Richmond Hospital (Evanston)
Victoria County Memorial Hosptial (Baddeck)

Western Zone
Acadia Festival Theatre
Acadia University Club
Berwick Firehall
Digby Station (7 Birch Street)
Liverpool PAC (157 School Street)
Roseway Hospital (Shelburne)
South Shore Assessment Centre (215 Dominion Road, Bridgewater)
Yarmouth Mariners Centre
Yarmouth Visitor Information Centre (228 Main Street)

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Vaccination

Vaccination figures are not provided on the weekend.

People who are 55 or over can book an appointment for any of the vaccines — Pfizer, Moderna, or AstraZeneca; and people who are from 40-54 can also book an appointment for the AstraZeneca. You can book an appointment here.

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Schools

I’ve added school-connected COVID cases that I’m aware of to the potential exposure advisories map (see below).

The current status of schools:

All schools in the province are closed until May 12.

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Potential exposure advisories

Last night, Public Health issued the following list of potential COVID exposure advisories (the release also contained a couple of corrections from previous releases; I’ve updated the potential exposure map to reflect those corrections):

Anyone who worked at or visited the following locations on the specified dates and times should visit covid-self-assessment.novascotia.ca/ to book a COVID-19 test, regardless of whether or not they have COVID-19 symptoms. You can also call 811 if you don’t have online access or if you have other symptoms that concern you.

Regardless of whether or not you have COVID-19 symptoms, those present at the following locations on the named dates and times for at least 15 minutes should get tested. For the following locations, if you do not have any symptoms of COVID-19 you do not need to self-isolate while you wait for your test result. If you have symptoms of COVID-19 you are required to self-isolate while you wait for your test result.

• Superstore New Minas (9064 Commercial St, New Minas) on April 22 between 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 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, May 6.
• Chicory Blue (27 School Rd, Blockhouse) on April 27 between 3:30 p.m. and 5:00 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, May 11.
• Yarmouth Mariners Centre (45 Jody Shelley Dr, Yarmouth) on April 23 between 1:30 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. and April 24 between 9:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. It is anticipated that anyone exposed to the virus at this location on the named date may develop symptoms up to, and including, May 7.

Regardless of whether or not you have COVID-19 symptoms, those present at the following locations on the named dates and times for at least 15 minutes are required to self-isolate while waiting for their 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.

• HFX Sports Bar & Grill (1721 Brunswick St, Halifax) on April 22 between 6:30 p.m. and 9:30 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, May 6.
• Moxie’s Grill & Bar – Downtown Halifax (1610 Argyle St, Halifax) on April 22 between 10:00 p.m. and 11:30 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, May 6.
• McDonalds Dartmouth (144 Main St, Dartmouth) on April 29 between 1:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. and May 1 between 6:30 a.m. and 3:30 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, May 15.
• Boston Pizza Yarmouth (134 Starrs Rd, Yarmouth) on April 23 between 3:00 p.m. and 5:30 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, May 7.

Regardless of whether or not you have COVID-19 symptoms, those present at the following locations on the named dates and times for at least 15 minutes are required to self-isolate, get tested and continue self-isolating for 14 days, even with a negative test result.

• SFS Szeto Fitness Studio (361 Charlotte St, Sydney) on April 21 between 3:30 p.m. and 5:30 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, May 5.

Regardless of whether or not you have COVID-19 symptoms, any passengers who were on the following transit routes for at least 15 minutes on the named dates and times are required to self-isolate while waiting for their 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.

• **CORRECTION** Route 28 travelling from Lacewood Drive to Mumford Road [not Barrington St to Mumford Rd as previously indicated] on April 22 between 4:30 p.m. and 6:00 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, May 6.
• **CORRECTION** Route 28 travelling from Lacewood Drive to Mumford Road [not Barrington St to Mumford Rd as previously indicated] on April 23 between 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 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, May 7.
• Route 1 travelling from Spring Garden Road to Bridge Terminal on April 30 between 4:30 p.m. and 6:00 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, May 14.
• Route 9B travelling from Upper Water Street to Mumford Road on April 28 between 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 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, May 12.
• Route 28 travelling from Washmill Lake Drive to Lacewood Drive on April 28 between 12:30 p.m. and 1:15 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, May 12.
• Route 28 travelling from Washmill Lake Drive to Mumford Road on April 28 between 2:00 p.m. and 3:00 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, May 12.
• Route 9A travelling from Mumford Road to Herring Cove Road on April 28 between 3:00 p.m. and 4:00 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, May 12.
• Route 9B travelling from Mumford Road to Herring Cove Road on April 28 between 3:00 p.m. and 4:00 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, May 12.
• Route 10 travelling from Main Street to University Avenue on April 25, 26 and 27 between 6:00 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. It is anticipated that anyone exposed to the virus at this location on the named date may develop symptoms up to, and including, May 11.
• Route 10 travelling from University Avenue to Main Street on April 25, 26 and 27 between 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 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, May 11.
• Route 3 travelling from North Street to Windmill Road on April 19, 20, 21 and 23 between 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 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, May 7.
• Route 3 travelling from Windmill Road to North Street on April 19, 20, 21 and 23 between 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 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, May 7.

I’ve collected all the active advisories for potential COVID exposures on bus routes and flights here.

The updated potential COVID exposure advisory map is below; you can click on the icons to get information about each site. I’ve also added school-connected cases to the map. Note: in HRM, potential exposure sites that are considered low-risk for transmission are no longer subject to advisories; that’s because everyone in HRM is encouraged to get tested, whether they were at a potential exposure site or not.

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