Coronavirus: Nova Scotia reports 7 new cases as total nears 1,000

Nova Scotia reported seven new cases of the novel coronavirus on Wednesday and no new deaths.

There are now 998 total cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, in Nova Scotia. Of those 998 cases, 296 remain active. There were 298 active cases on Tuesday.

READ MORE: Strang defends COVID-19 preventive measures at Northwood as death toll continues to rise

Here is a breakdown of where cases have been identified in Nova Scotia by health zone:

• Central: 851
• Western: 54
• Northern: 43
• Eastern: 50

The QEII Health Sciences Centre’s microbiology lab completed 764 coronavirus tests on May 5.

2:18 Strang defends protocols in place at Northwood

There are three licensed long-term care homes and unlicensed seniors facilities in Nova Scotia with active cases of COVID-19, according to the province.

Northwood in Halifax currently has 160 residents and 51 staff with active cases. Two other facilities each have one staff member with an active case of COVID-19.

President and CEO of Northwood Janet Simm said that as of Wednesday, the care home now has the single largest group of residents who have recovered since the start of the outbreak. 

At an online press briefing, Simms said Northwood’s Halifax campus has 48 residents in recovery and potentially another 30 residents who will be considered recovered this week. 

“This means we will have over 100 recovered residents out of the 226 residents who tested positive for COVID-19,” Simms said. 

11:21 Premier McNeil addresses Northwood outbreak in one-on-one interview

READ MORE: Nova Scotia confirms 1 new coronavirus-related death, 14 new cases

To accommodate the needs of recovered residents, Simms announced that in addition to its off-site recovery unit, which is already in use, Northwood is creating a recovery unit within the walls of the Halifax campus. 

“We are putting every resource we have into this fight and we are getting tremendous support from the rest of the health-care system,” said Simms. 

She also noted that Northwood has been receiving help from the staff at the Nova Scotia Health Authority, IWK Health Centre, the province’s Department of Health and Wellness and the Victorian Order of Nurses to combat the spread of the virus. 

She said the medical team at Northwood now consists of physicians, nurses, dietitians, social workers, experts, physiotherapists and more to make sure residents receive the care they need.

READ MORE: Northwood to increase testing following 36 new cases of COVID-19 at Halifax campus

Simms also said that she appreciated provincial chief medical officer of health Dr. Robert Strang’s assurances during a Tuesday press briefing that Northwood has taken all steps necessary to address COVID-19. 

“We have ample PPE (personal protective equipment) now and from the very beginning,” said Simms.”(And) we are being tested like we have never been tested before.” 

To date, Nova Scotia has 31,541 negative coronavirus test results, 998 positive test results and 41 deaths.

Sixty-one per cent of the cases involve female patients while 39 per cent involve male patients.

The age group with the most reported COVID-19 cases in Nova Scotia is individuals between 40 and 59.