Nova Scotia announces 4 more deaths as a result of coronavirus outbreak

Nova Scotia has announced four additional deaths in the province as a result of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.

Health officials say three of the deaths occurred at Northwood Manor in Halifax, while one death has been recorded at Harbourstone Enhanced Care in Sydney, N.S.

Nova Scotia has now experienced 16 deaths as a result of COVID-19.

“Our hearts ache for those who have lost a loved one to COVID-19. All Nova Scotians send their support and condolences to the families and friends of those who have passed,” said Premier Stephen McNeil in a press release.

READ MORE: 2 more deaths reported at Northwood as Nova Scotia identifies 35 new cases of coronavirus

Nova Scotia also announced 55 new cases on Thursday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the province to 827.

The province has confirmed that 10 people remain in hospital, four of whom are in intensive care.

Health officials say 358 people have now recovered and their cases are considered resolved.

Dr. Robert Strang, the province’s chief medical officer of health, said on Thursday that Nova Scotia has now conducted more tests per capita than any other province.

As of Wednesday, the province has conducted 24,558 tests with 23,731 coming back negative.

Strang said improving the province’s testing capacity is key to finding and tracking cases when they are detected.

McNeil said on Thursday that at this time it was unlikely that the province would request aid from the federal government.

2:45 Coronavirus outbreak: Doctor says number of recoveries outnumbering active cases ‘potentially good news’

11 deaths at Northwood Manor

As of Thursday, there are 10 licensed long-term care homes and unlicensed seniors’ facilities in Nova Scotia with cases of COVID-19.

There have now been 11 deaths at the Northwood long-term care facility.

Long term care facilities are at the heart of the COVID-19 outbreak, with Northwood receiving a high profile due to the number of deaths that have occurred there.

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Strang said Northwood is different from other long-term care homes in the province due to its size.

He also said Northwood experienced a series of “unfortunate circumstances” that saw multiple staff — who did not realize they had COVID-19 — bring the disease into the facility.

“I want to be clear that it was not because of staff shortages,” Strang said.

READ MORE: NSGEU calls on government to protect front-line workers at Northwood amid coronavirus outbreak

Strang says the restrictive measures in place in Nova Scotia have been key to reducing community spread in the province.

If an individual has two or more of the following symptoms, they’re asked to visit 811.novascotia.ca to determine if they should call 811 for further assessment:

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

Health officials caution against all international travel. Returning travellers are legally obligated to self-isolate for 14 days, beginning March 26, in case they develop symptoms and to prevent spreading the virus to others. Some provinces and territories have also implemented additional recommendations or enforcement measures to ensure those returning to the area self-isolate.

1:57 More than 200 residents, staff at 10 nursing homes infected with COVID-19

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.