Forty-four new cases of COVID-19 are announced in Nova Scotia today (Friday, April 23).
Thirty-three of the new cases are in Nova Scotia Health’s Central Zone. Five cases are in the Eastern Zone, four cases are in the Western Zone, and two are in the Northern Zone.
One of the Central Zone cases is a staff member at The Ivy Meadows, a nursing home in Beaver Bank. All residents and staff are being tested. A “majority” of residents have received two doses of vaccine.
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.
Seven of today’s cases are identified as the B.1.1.7 variant. So far, there have been 73 cases of the B.1.1.7 variant, 12 cases of the B.1.351 variant, and one case of the P.1 variant.
Demographics
Today’s cases are in the following demographics:
• 9 aged 19 or younger (five girls or women, four boys or men)
• 15 aged 20-39 (six women, nine men)
• 13 aged 40-59 (seven women, six men)
• 7 aged 60-79 (one woman, six men)
• 0 aged 80 or over
There are now 150 known active cases in the province. Four people are in hospital with the disease, but not in ICU.
The active cases are distributed as follows:
• 42 in the Halifax Peninsula/Chebucto Community Health Network in the Central Zone
• 45 in the Dartmouth/Southeastern Community Health Network in the Central Zone
• 11 in the Bedford/Sackville Community Health Network in the Central Zone
• 3 in the Eastern Shore/Musquodoboit Community Health Network in the Central Zone
• 1 is in the West Hants Community Health Network in the Central Zone
• 23 in the Cape Breton Community Health Network in the Eastern Zone
• 2 in the Inverness, Victoria & Richmond Community Health Network in the Eastern Zone
• 1 is in the Antigonish & Guysborough Community Health Network in the Eastern Zone
• 4 in the Colchester/East Hants Community Health Network in the Northern Zone
• 2 in the Pictou Community Health Network in the Northern Zone
• 3 in the Annapolis and Kings Community Health Network in the Western Zone
• 3 in the Lunenburg & Queens Community Health Network in the Western Zone
• 3 in the Yarmouth, Shelburne & Digby Community Health Network in the Western Zone
Seven cases are not assigned to a Community Health Network, but they are in the Central Zone.
Testing
Nova Scotia Health labs completed 5,956 tests yesterday.
Pop-up testing for asymptomatic people over 16 (results usually within 20 minutes) has been scheduled for the following sites:
Saturday
Sackville Sports Stadium, 11am-6pm
Halifax Convention Centre, noon-7pm
Alderney Gate Public Library, 2-7pmSunday
East Dartmouth Community Centre, 9:30am-5:30pm
Public Health Mobile Units are available for drop-in and pre-booked appointments (symptomatic people must pre-book) for PCR tests for people of all ages (results within three days) at the following sites:
Saturday
• Saint Vincent de Paul Church (320 Flying Cloud Dr., Darmouth), 9:30am-5:30pm
• Lake Echo Fellowship Baptist Church (17 Peter Ct., Mineville), 9:30am-5:30pmSunday
Lake Echo Fellowship Baptist Church (17 Peter Ct., Mineville), 9:30am-7pmMonday
Lake Echo Fellowship Baptist Church (17 Peter Ct., Mineville), 9:30am-7pm
But you can also get tested at the Nova Scotia Health labs by going here.
Vaccines
Yesterday, 13,346 doses of vaccine were administered. So far, a total of 260,788 doses of vaccine have been administered, which includes both vaccines for 34,493 people.
People who are 60 or over can book an appointment for the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine; people aged 55-64 can book appointments to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine. You can book an appointment here.
Graphs
Here are the new daily cases and seven-day rolling average (today at 20.9) since the start of the second wave (Oct. 1):
Here’s the graph of daily new cases from the start of the pandemic in March 2020:
Here is the active caseload for the second wave:
And here is the active caseload from the start of the pandemic in March 2020:
The updated potential COVID exposure advisory map is below; I think it likely there will be more exposure advisories issued tonight, and if so I’ll update the map again.
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Thank you!
“There are now 50 known active cases in the province.” Should read “150.” Thanks for all your great work keeping us informed about this.
Thanks, Vel and Wendy. Tim probably typed it on the bus.
That’s what I figured happened. Funny how I can find errors in Tim’s sentences, but miss most of the ones in my own – and I’m not trying to type on a bus. 🙂
Small typo: You wrote “There are now 50 known active cases in the province.” I wish that were so and maybe it will be true in about two weeks (or even sooner). 🙂
We already know this outbreak is related to travel so I guess the point is moot.