Fifty-two new cases of COVID-19 are being reported in Nova Scotia today, April 24.

Forty-four cases are in Central Zone, one of which was identified Friday, April 23, at Oyster Pond Academy in Oyster Pond.

Four cases are in Eastern Zone, one of which was identified Friday, April 23, at Shipyard Elementary in Sydney.

Four cases are in Northern Zone, one of which was identified Friday, April 23, at Cobequid Educational Centre in Truro.

Due to an increased number of investigations in recent days, exposure category (i.e., travel, close contact or under investigation) is not always available by release time. A breakdown by zone identifying exposure categories will no longer be provided regularly. There are signs of community spread in Central Zone. At this time, there are no signs of community spread in Eastern, Northern or Western Zone.

“We are at a critical point in our effort to get the pandemic under control. Case numbers are climbing to first wave levels and there is community spread in HRM,” said Premier Iain Rankin. “Following the current restrictions is vital. Please avoid non-essential travel in and out of HRM and surrounding communities. If everyone does their part, we can beat this.”

As of today, Nova Scotia has 201 active cases of COVID-19.

Nova Scotia Health Authority’s labs completed 7,910 Nova Scotia tests on April 23.

Since Oct. 1, Nova Scotia has completed 372,224 tests. There have been 901 positive COVID-19 cases and two deaths. Five people are in hospital. Cases range in age from under 10 to over 90. There are 698 resolved cases. Cumulative cases may change as data is updated in Panorama.

“Stopping COVID-19 from getting a stronger foothold in the province is now up to you,” said Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia’s chief medical officer of health. “We must all remain extremely vigilant, take action and make the right choices. Every single person’s actions play a role and if we all work together, like we have before, we can protect ourselves and each other.”

Nova Scotians are strongly encouraged to seek asymptomatic COVID-19 testing, particularly if they have a large number of close contacts due to their work or social activities. Appointments can be booked at https://covid-self-assessment.novascotia.ca/, by choosing the asymptomatic option. Rapid testing pop-up sites continue to be set up around the province as well. More information on testing can be found at https://www.nshealth.ca/coronavirustesting .

Source: Release #notw