HALIFAX: The province is reporting 13 new hospital admissions and eight discharges.
Nova Scotia is also reporting one death related to COVID-19. A woman in her 80s in Eastern Zone has died.
“This is another very sad day and I send my sympathies to the family and loved ones of the woman who has passed,” said Premier Tim Houston. “Now is the time to buckle down. I ask all Nova Scotians to do everything you can to keep COVID-19 out of our healthcare system, long-term care facilities and our communities.
“This means slowing down activities, reducing contacts, getting vaccinated and getting your booster as soon as possible and following all of the public health measures.”
There are 73 people in hospital who were admitted due to COVID-19 and are receiving specialized care in a COVID-19 designated unit. That includes 15 people in ICU. The age range of those in hospital is 0-100 years old, the average age is 68 and the average length of stay of those admitted to hospital due to COVID-19 is 6.4 days.
Of the 73 people in hospital, 70 were admitted during the Omicron wave.
“Today, we lost another Nova Scotian to this virus, and I offer my prayers and condolences to the family and loved ones of the woman who passed,” said Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia’s Chief Medical Officer of Health. “Every person we lose is a reminder that COVID-19 persists as a very real threat. It hurts me to know that another family is grieving the loss of a loved one before their time.”
The vaccination status of those in hospital is:
— 10 (13.7 per cent) people have had a third dose of COVID-19 vaccine
— 43 (58.9 per cent) are fully vaccinated (two doses)
— 4 (5.5 per cent) are partially vaccinated
— 16 (21.9 per cent) are unvaccinated.
It is important to note that less than 10 per cent of Nova Scotians are unvaccinated.
There are also two other groups of people in hospital related to COVID-19:
— 63 people who were identified as positive upon arrival at hospital but were admitted for another medical reason, or were admitted for COVID-19 but no longer require specialized care
— 120 people who contracted COVID-19 after being admitted to hospital.
Vaccine Coverage:
As of January 17, 1,963,429 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered. Of those, 90.6 per cent of Nova Scotians have received their first dose, and 83.1 per cent have received their second dose.
As well, 36.7 per cent of Nova Scotians 18 and older have received a booster dose and 12.1 per cent have booked a booster dose appointment.
Cases and Testing:
On January 17, Nova Scotia Health Authority (NSHA) labs completed 3,465 tests. An additional 415 new lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 are being reported.
There are 233 cases in Central Zone, 68 cases in Eastern Zone, 40 cases in Northern Zone and 74 cases in Western Zone.
As of today, there are an estimated 5,511 active cases of COVID-19 in Nova Scotia.
Hospital Outbreaks:
The NSHA is reporting two new outbreaks in hospitals, at Yarmouth Regional Hospital
and Sutherland Harris Memorial Hospital in Pictou. Fewer than 10 patients at each facility have tested positive.
NSHA is also reporting one additional case related to the outbreak in a ward at Northside General Hospital in North Sydney. Fewer than 10 patients have tested positive.
All patients are being closely monitored and other infection prevention and control measures are being put in place. NSHA will provide a further update when more information is available.
Quick Facts:
— a state of emergency was declared under the Emergency Management Act on March 22, 2020, and has been extended to January 23, 2022
Additional Resources:
Nova Scotians can find accurate, up-to-date information, handwashing posters and fact sheets at: https://novascotia.ca/coronavirus
Information on provincewide restrictions that took effect December 22 and other public health measures to help slow the spread of COVID-19 is available at: https://novascotia.ca/coronavirus/restrictions-and-guidance/
More information on COVID-19 case data, testing and vaccines is available at: https://novascotia.ca/coronavirus/data/
