HALIFAX: Nova Scotia is reporting one death related to COVID-19 on Nov. 19.
A woman in her 90s with underlying medical conditions in Northern Zone has died as a result of complications related to COVID-19. She was a resident of the East Cumberland Lodge long-term care home in Pugwash.
“This is a very sad day and I send my sympathies to the family and loved ones of the woman who has passed, as well as everyone at East Cumberland Lodge,” said Premier Tim Houston. “I ask all Nova Scotians to do everything you can to help keep COVID-19 out of our long-term care facilities and our communities.
“This means getting fully vaccinated, staying home if you are sick and following public health measures.”
Today’s death connected to the long-term care home will be reflected on the COVID-19 dashboard when it is updated Monday.
Nova Scotia is also reporting 27 new cases of COVID-19 and 40 recoveries.
There are 13 cases in Central Zone, seven cases in Western Zone, six cases in Northern Zone and one case in Eastern Zone. There is also evidence of limited community spread in Halifax and northern Nova Scotia.
Another resident at East Cumberland Lodge has tested positive for COVID-19. A total of 32 residents and 10 staff members at the home have tested positive, and three of the infected residents have died. Public and occupational health are working with the facility to prevent further spread. Increased public health measures and restrictions are in place.
“My heartfelt condolences go out to the family and loved ones of the woman who has passed,” said Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia’s Chief Medical Officer of Health. “It is important everyone understands Nova Scotia continues to see new cases of COVID-19 – we are not out of the woods yet.
“We must remain vigilant, especially to protect residents and staff at long-term care homes.”
On November 18, four schools were notified of an exposure(s) at their school. As always, all staff, parents and guardians are notified of exposures if a positive case (student, teacher or staff) was at the school while infectious.
A list of schools with exposures is available online: https://backtoschool.ednet.ns.ca/school-exposures
There have been 102 cases of COVID-19 with an episode date between November 11 and November 18. Of those:
— 37 (36.2 per cent) were fully vaccinated
— 3 (2.9 per cent) were partially vaccinated
— 62 (60.8 per cent) were unvaccinated
There have been 6,306 cases from March 15 to November 18. Of those:
— 590 (9.4 per cent) were fully vaccinated
— 391 (6.2 per cent) were partially vaccinated
— 5,325 (84.4 per cent) were unvaccinated
There were 325 people hospitalized. Of those:
— 18 (5.5 per cent) were fully vaccinated
— 32 (9.8 per cent) were partially vaccinated
— 275 (84.6 per cent) were unvaccinated
Thirty-nine people died. Of those:
— 8 (20.5 per cent) were fully vaccinated
— 3 (7.7 per cent) were partially vaccinated
— 28 (71.8 per cent) were unvaccinated
As of today, Nova Scotia has 223 active cases of COVID-19. Of those, 15 people are in hospital, including seven in ICU.
There were 30,193 rapid tests administered between November 12 and 18. This includes 2,050 rapid tests at the pop-up sites in Halifax, Dartmouth, Bear River, Digby, Weymouth and Yarmouth and 28,143 through the workplace screening program. Another 12,649 home rapid tests were distributed at the pop-up sites.
On November 18, Nova Scotia Health Authority’s labs completed 3,942 tests.
As of November 18, 1,616,350 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered. Of those, 785,380 Nova Scotians have received their second dose, and 9,729 eligible Nova Scotians have received a third dose.
Since August 1, there have been 2,116 positive COVID-19 cases and 12 deaths. Cases range in age from under 10 to over 90. There are 1,882 resolved cases. Cumulative cases may change as data is updated in Panorama.
Testing advice:
Nova Scotians with or without symptoms can book a test at: https://covid-self-assessment.novascotia.ca/en for COVID-19 for COVID-19 testing centres across the province. Those eligible to receive asymptomatic testing are listed at: https://www.nshealth.ca/visit-covid-19-testing-site . Those with no symptoms who do not meet the criteria are encouraged to use one of the rapid testing pop-up sites if they want to be tested. Some public health mobile unit clinics also offer drop-in testing; this will be noted in promotions.
Anyone with COVID-19 symptoms is advised to self-isolate and book a COVID-19 test.
Anyone advised by public health that they were a close contact needs to complete a full 14-day quarantine, regardless of test results, unless they are fully vaccinated. If they are fully vaccinated at least 14 days before the exposure date, they do not need to self-isolate as long as they are not experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms. They should still get tested and should monitor for symptoms up to 14 days after the exposure date. If symptoms develop, they should get tested and self-isolate until they receive a negative test result.
Symptoms and self-assessment:
Nova Scotians should visit https://covid-self-assessment.novascotia.ca/ to do a self-assessment if in the past 48 hours they have had or are currently experiencing:
— cough (new or worsening)
Or two or more of the following symptoms:
— fever (chills, sweats)
— headache
— runny nose or nasal congestion
— sore throat
— shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
People should call 811 if they cannot access the online self-assessment or wish to speak with a nurse about their symptoms.
Anyone with symptoms should immediately self-isolate and book a test.
Quick Facts:
— a state of emergency was declared under the Emergency Management Act on March 22, 2020, and has been extended to November 28, 2021
Additional Resources:
Nova Scotians can find accurate, up-to-date information, handwashing posters and fact sheets at: https://novascotia.ca/coronavirus
More information on COVID-19 case data, testing and vaccines is available at: https://novascotia.ca/coronavirus/data/
