Nova Scotia sees largest jump in COVID-19 cases since virus arrived in the province

For the third day in a row there was a double-digit rise in COVID-19 cases in Nova Scotia, as the province identified 17 more on Wednesday.

According to chief public health officer Dr. Robert Strang, there are now 68 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in Nova Scotia.

READ MORE: Nova Scotia can now conduct 400 COVID-19 tests in one day — Strang

All of the cases are travel-related or connected to earlier reported cases, according to Strang, and none are the result of community spread.

2:08 Coronavirus outbreak: 17 more COVID-19 cases in Nova Scotia

“Several of the new cases are connected to groups or families who have returned to Nova Scotia following travel outside of Canada,” the province stated.

0:51 Coronavirus outbreak: 10 new cases of COVID-19 in Nova Scotia

The 68 individuals affected range in age from under 10 to in their mid-70s. Cases have been identified in all parts of the province, and one patient remains in hospital.

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Two individuals have now recovered, and their cases of COVID-19 are considered resolved.

“Public health has been in contact with these individuals and is working to identify others who may have come in close contact with them. Those individuals are also being directed to self-isolate at home, away from the public, for 14 days,” the province said.

READ MORE: Nova Scotia declares state of emergency, announces 7 new cases of COVID-19

To date, Nova Scotia has had 2,772 negative test results for COVID-19.

Questions about COVID-19? Here are some things you need to know:

Health officials caution against all international travel. Returning travellers are asked to self-isolate for 14 days in case they develop symptoms and to prevent spreading the virus to others.

Symptoms can include fever, cough and difficulty breathing — very similar to a cold or flu. Some people can develop a more severe illness. People most at risk of this include older adults and people with severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease. If you develop symptoms, contact public health authorities.

To prevent the virus from spreading, experts recommend frequent handwashing and coughing into your sleeve. They also recommend minimizing contact with others, staying home as much as possible and maintaining a distance of two metres from other people if you go out.

For full COVID-19 coverage from Global News, click here.