Photo by Georg Eiermann on Unsplash

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Jump to sections in this article:
Overview
Vaccination
Demographics
Testing
Potential exposure advisories

Nova Scotia announced two new cases of COVID-19 today (Sunday, June 20).

Both of the new cases are in the Nova Scotia Health’s Central Zone, and both are close contacts of previously reported cases,

There are now 83 known active cases in the province; six people are in hospital with the disease, three of whom are in ICU; seven people are considered newly recovered today.

Click here to see Nova Scotia’s reopening plan.

Here are the daily new case numbers and the seven-day rolling averages (today at 7.6) since March 28, the last day Nova Scotia had zero new daily cases:

Here is the daily case count since the start of the pandemic in March 2020:

Here is the active caseload since March 28:

And here is the active caseload for the duration of the pandemic:


Vaccination

Vaccination data are not provided on weekends.

People 12 years old and older can book a vaccination appointment here.

People in rural areas who need transportation to a vaccine clinic 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.


Demographics

The active cases across the province are distributed as follows:

Central Zone
• 42 in the Halifax Peninsula/Chebucto Community Health Network
• 5 in the Dartmouth/Southeastern Community Health Network
• 10 in the Bedford/Sackville Community Health Network
• 0 in the Eastern Shore/Musquodoboit Community Health Network
• 0 in the West Hants Community Health Network
• 1 not assigned to a Community Health Network
Total: 58

Eastern Zone
• 15 in the Cape Breton Community Health Network
• 1 in the Inverness, Victoria & Richmond Community Health Network
• 0 in the Antigonish & Guysborough Community Health Network
Total: 16

Northern Zone
• 1 in the Colchester/East Hants Community Health Network
• 3 in the Pictou Community Health Network
• 0 in the Cumberland Community Health Network
Total: 4

Western Zone
• 2 in the Annapolis and Kings Community Health Network
• 3 in the Lunenburg & Queens Community Health Network
• 0 in the Yarmouth, Shelburne & Digby Community Health Network
Total: 5


Testing

A woman has pulled down her mask to get a swab from a man wearing full PPE
A woman gets swabbed at one of the rapid testing sites. Photo: Lisa Barrett

Nova Scotia Health labs completed 3,464 PCR tests yesterday. This does not include the antigen tests administered at the rapid-testing pop-up sites.

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, noon-7pm
Halifax Central Library, noon-7pm
Halifax Convention Centre, 2-9pm
Centennial Arena, noon-7pm
Chester Legion, noon-7pm
Sackville Sports Stadium, 11am-6pm

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

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 each of the health zones (appointments may not be available at each site).


Potential exposure advisories

Public Health only issues potential exposure advisories when they think they may not have been able to contact all close contacts at that locale. The large majority of potential exposure sites never make it onto a public advisory.

Today, the following potential high-risk COVID exposure advisory was issued:

Nova Scotia Health Public Health is advising of a potential high-risk exposure to COVID-19 at the Fit4Less Gym on Dresden Row in Halifax. Public Health is investigating a confirmed case of COVID-19 who spent time in the weight area.

Anyone who visited Fit4Less in the specified section of the gym on the specified date and time should self-isolate immediately and visit covid-self-assessment.novascotia.ca/ to book a COVID-19 test, regardless of whether or not they have COVID-19 symptoms or call 811. You must continue self-isolating for 14 days, whether or not you have symptoms, even with a negative test result.

  • Fit4Less (1535 Dresden Row, Halifax) on June 16 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The affected area is the weight area. It is anticipated that anyone exposed to the virus at this location on the named date may develop symptoms up to, and including, June 30.

Please DO NOT go directly to a COVID-19 pop-up rapid testing location or a Mobile Unit site.

The following potential COVID exposure advisories were issued last night:

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

For the following location, 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, as are the other members of your household.

• Home Depot Bayers Lake (368 Lacewood Drive, Halifax) on June 14 between 12:30 p.m. and 9:45 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, June 28.

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, however, you are asked to get retested 6-8 days and 12-14 days after this exposure. If you get a positive result, you will be contacted by Public Health about what to do next.

  • Halifax Transit Route #004 (Universities) which runs from Lacewood Terminal to Lemarchant and University on June 14 between 9:30 a.m. and 10:15 a.m. It is anticipated that anyone exposed to the virus on the named date may develop symptoms up to, and including, June 28.
  • Halifax Transit Route #004 (Universities) which runs from Lemarchant and University to Lacewood Terminal on June 14 between 12:00 p.m. and 12:30 p.m. It is anticipated that anyone exposed to the virus on the named date may develop symptoms up to, and including, June 28.

We’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 zoom in and click on the coronavirus icons to get information about each site.


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Tim Bousquet

Tim Bousquet is the editor and publisher of the Halifax Examiner. Twitter @Tim_Bousquet Mastodon

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