Today, January 10, Nova Scotia is reporting 29 new hospital admissions and 19 discharges since the last update on January 7.

Nova Scotia is also reporting three deaths related to COVID-19:
— a man in his 60s in Eastern Zone
— a man in his 70s in Northern Zone
— a man in his 80s in Central zone.

All three contracted COVID-19 during the Omicron wave.

“The Omicron wave has taken three Nova Scotians, and I’m devastated for the loved ones they are leaving behind,” said Premier Tim Houston. “This is exactly why restrictions are needed – as another layer to protect those who are most vulnerable to severe disease. So please, do your part to keep your family, friends and community members safe.”

There are 59 people in hospital with two in ICU. Their ages range from 31 to 100 years old, and the average age is 69. Of the 59 in hospital, 55 were admitted during the Omicron wave.

“My heart goes out to the family and friends of the three Nova Scotians who died,” said Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia’s Chief Medical Officer of Health. “There’s no doubt this wave is very different, but there’s also no doubt that the virus can have very severe impacts on some people. We all have a responsibility to protect the people around us who need it and our healthcare system. Follow restrictions and get your vaccine – whether it’s your first, second or booster dose.”

The vaccination status of those in hospital is:
— 7 (11.9 per cent) people have had a third dose of COVID-19 vaccine
— 35 (59.3 per cent) are fully vaccinated (two doses)
— 2 (3.4 per cent) are partially vaccinated
— 15 (25.4 per cent) are unvaccinated.

It is important to note that less than 10 per cent of Nova Scotians are unvaccinated.

Vaccine Coverage:

As of January 9, 1,856,028 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered. Of those, 90.1 per cent of Nova Scotians have received their first dose, 82.9 per cent have received their second dose, and 19.9 per cent have received a third dose.

Cases and Testing:

On January 9, Nova Scotia Health Authority labs completed 4,063 tests. An additional 816 new lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 are being reported.

There are 526 cases in Central Zone, 110 cases in Eastern Zone, 70 cases in Northern Zone and 110 cases in Western Zone.

From January 8 and 9, 69 of 1,982 positive lab results were repeat positives.

As of today, there are an estimated 6,906 active cases of COVID-19 in Nova Scotia.

Hospital Outbreaks:

The NSHA is reporting three new outbreaks in hospitals, at:
— Northside General Hospital
— Aberdeen Hospital in New Glasgow
— Abbie J. Lane Memorial Building of the QEII Health Sciences Centre.

Fewer than five patients at each facility have tested positive.

NSHA is also reporting additional cases related to the outbreaks in five hospitals:
— two additional patients in a ward at the Victoria General site of the QEII Health Sciences Centre; fewer than ten people have tested positive
— two additional patients in a separate ward at the Victoria General site of the QEII Health Sciences Centre; fewer than ten people have tested positive
— two additional patients in a ward at New Waterford Consolidated Hospital; a total of 13 patients have now tested positive
— two additional patients in a separate ward at Northside General Hospital; fewer than 10 people have tested positive
— one additional patient in a ward at the Halifax Infirmary; a total of 17 patients have now 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/

More information about public health text notifications of positive COVID-19 cases and close contacts is available here: https://www.nshealth.ca/news/public-health-notifying-positive-covid-19-cases-text-advising-notify-close-contacts

Government of Canada: https://canada.ca/coronavirus or 1-833-784-4397 (toll-free)

Source: Release