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Overview
Vaccination
Testing
Nova Scotia reports today that two people have died from COVID-19. The deceased are:
• a man in his 50s who lived in the Eastern Zone
• a man in his 70s who lived in the Eastern Zone
Oddly (to me anyway), the Department of Health notes that:
Data on deaths comes from Panorama, public health’s disease information system. It is entered into the system only after the death is identified to be COVID-related, which can take days or weeks to investigate and report. Data on deaths is reflective of virus activity in the past, at the point of infection, and not the situation today, at the point of reporting.
This raises some questions: Have COVID deaths always been from days or weeks before the day they are reported? If so, why is this explanation only coming out this week? If not, what explains the difference?
I’ve asked the Department of Health to respond to those questions and will update this post if I get a response.
There are today a total of 367 people in hospital who either now have COVID or once did have COVID, as follows:
• 66 admitted because of COVID symptoms, 11 of whom are in ICU. Those 66 range in age from 13 to 93 years old, and their median age is 64;
• 135 admitted to hospital for other reasons but who tested positive for COVID during the admissions screening or who were admitted for COVID but no longer require specialized care;
• 166 who contracted COVID in the hospital outbreaks
The 66 people now hospitalized because of COVID have the following vaccination status:
• 22 (33.3%) have had 3 doses
• 24 (36.4%) have had 2 doses but not 3
• 1 (1.5%) have had 1 dose only
• 19 (28.8%) are unvaccinated
Note that less than 9% of the population is unvaccinated.
Additionally, the province announced 242 new cases of COVID-19 today. The new cases are people who received a positive PCR test result from a Nova Scotia Health lab; it does not include people who tested positive using a take-home rapid (antigen) test.
By Nova Scotia Health zone, the new cases break down as:
• 80 Central
• 67 Eastern
• 50 Northern
• 45 Western
Based on PCR testing, Public Health estimates that there are 2,535 active cases in the province; the actual number is undoubtedly much higher.
Hospital outbreaks
There is a new hospital outbreak at a new ward in Cape Breton Regional Hospital; fewer than 10 patients have tested positive.
Additionally, there are new cases at 4 ongoing hospital outbreaks:
• a second ward at Cape Breton Regional — 2 new for a total of fewer than 10
• a third ward at Cape Breton Regional — 1 new for a total of fewer than 10
• a ward at Cumberland Regional — 3 new for a total of 13
• a ward at Hants Community 1 new for a total of fewer than 10
Vaccination
Yesterday, 4,190 doses of vaccine were administered:
• 157 first doses
• 1,091 second doses
• 2,942 third doses
In total, 2,192,568 doses have been administered:
• 879,312 first doses
• 823,691 second doses
• 489,565 third doses
As of end of day yesterday, 91.6% of the entire population have received at least one dose of vaccine:
• 5.7% with 1 dose only
• 35.3% with 2 doses but not 3
• 50.6% with 3 doses
• 8.4% unvaccinated
Appointments for boosters are now open to people 18 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 2,015 PCR tests yesterday, with a positivity rate of 12.0%.
If you test positive with a rapid (antigen) test, you are assumed to definitely have COVID, and you and your household are to self-isolate as required.
Pop-up testing has been scheduled for the following sites:
Thursday
Halifax Central Library, noon-7pm
Hants Shore Community Health Centre, 11am-3pm
New Waterford Frech Club, 11am-3pmFriday
Halifax Central Library, 11am-6pm
Musquodoboit Harbour & District Lions Club, 11am-3pm
Pictou Legion, 11am-3pm
Glace Bay Legion, 11am-3pm
You can volunteer to work at the pop-up testing sites here or here. No medical experience is necessary.
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