Nova Scotia health officials reported one new case of the coronavirus on Thursday and said 23 cases remain active in the province.
The new case is under investigation.
In a Tuesday provincial briefing, top doctor Dr. Robert Strang issued a stern warning to Nova Scotians, confirming for the first time that the province is starting “to see community spread.”
There have been at least seven cases for which Public Health has not been able to trace close contacts.
The province said is it prepared to reduce gathering limits and place additional restrictions on businesses “earlier than other jurisdictions.”
“We will not hesitate to shut down the economy in sections if necessary,” said Premier Stephen McNeil. “It is imperative that all of us believe that COVID is next door to us.”
As of Thursday, there have been 1,155 cases of COVID-19 detected in the province to date, 1,067 of which are considered recovered.
Officials say 65 people have died as a result of the virus.
No one is currently in hospital.