Jump to sections in this article:
Overview
Vaccination
Testing
A child has died from COVID-19.
The deceased is aged 5-11; the province did not report which health zone the child lived in. The child is the 169th Nova Scotian to die from COVID, and the 59th to die since Dec. 3.
There are today a total of 355 people in hospital who either now have COVID or once did have COVID, as follows:
• 82 admitted because of COVID symptoms, 11 of whom are in ICU. Those 90 range in age from 4 to 93 years old, and their average age is 65;
• 129 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;
• 144 who contracted COVID in the hospital outbreaks
The 82 people now hospitalized because of COVID have the following vaccination status:
• 23 (28%) have had 3 doses
• 28 (34.1%) have had 2 doses but not 3
• 0 (0%) have had 1 dose only
• 31 (37.8%) are unvaccinated
Note that less than 9% of the population is unvaccinated.
My very rough calculation of the rate by vaccination status of those hospitalized (based on numbers of the population in each category two weeks ago) is as follows:
• (23) a rate of 5.5 per 100K with 3 doses
• (28) a rate of 7.3 per 100K with 2 doses (but not 3)
• (0) a rate of 0 per 100K with 1 dose only
• (31) a rate of 33.4 per 100k unvaccinated
Additionally, the province announced 389 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:
• 162 Central
• 48 Eastern
• 79 Northern
• 100 Western
Based on PCR testing, Public Health estimates that there are 3,153 active cases in the province; the actual number is undoubtedly much higher.
The graph above shows the number of weekly cases (green, left axis) and weekly deaths (red, right axis).
The graph above shows the number of weekly cases (green, left axis) and the number hospitalized on Fridays (orange, right axis) for the duration of the pandemic.
Vaccination
Yesterday, 6,035 doses of vaccine were administered:
• 233 first doses
• 1,363 second doses
• 4,439 third doses
In total, 2,175,757 doses have been administered:
• 878,557 first doses
• 817,844 second doses
• 479,356 third doses
By end of day yesterday, 91.5% of the entire population have received at least 1 dose of vaccine:
• 6.2% with 1 dose only
• 35.8% with 2 doses but not 3
• 49.5% with 3 doses
• 8.5% unvaccinated
The graph above shows the vaccination progress as captured on Fridays through the pandemic. The yellow line is people with at least one dose of vaccine The blue line is people with only one dose. The green line is people with two doses but not three. The grey line is people with three doses. The red line is 80% of the population.
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.
There are many drop-in Pfizer vaccine clinics scheduled, starting next week, several for kids five years old and older.
Testing
Nova Scotia Health labs completed 2,385 PCR tests yesterday, with a positivity rate of 16.3%.
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:
Friday
Halifax Central Library, 11am-6pm
Chester Basin Fire Dept., 11am-3pm
Glace Bay Legion, 11am-3pmSaturday
Halifax Central Library, 11am-6pm
Alderney Gate, 10am-2pm
Cheticamp Seniors’ Hall, 11am-3pm
Brooklyn Civic Centre, 11am-3pmSunday
Halifax Central Library, 11am-6pm
Arichat OLA Parish Hall, 11am-3pm
You can volunteer to work at the pop-up testing sites here or here. No medical experience is necessary.
Subscribe to the Halifax Examiner
The Halifax Examiner is an advertising-free, subscriber-supported news site. Your subscription makes this work possible.
We have many other subscription options available, or drop us a donation. Thanks!