N.S. labs complete record number of COVID-19 tests, reporting 3 new cases

Nova Scotia says its labs analyzed a record number of COVID-19 tests Saturday, as the province makes a big push for asymptomatic and targeted community testing.

The province is reporting three new cases Sunday: one each in Central, Eastern and Northern zones. The Central Zone case is considered a close contact of a previous case, while the other two are being attributed to travel outside Atlantic Canada.

According to the province, all three people are self-isolating as required.

This brings the province’s total to 38 active cases of COVID-19. Two people are currently in hospital, in ICU.

The province also notes its labs completed 4,839 tests on Saturday, breaking its previous record of 4,125 on Nov. 30, 2020. In comparison, the labs completed 1,698 tests last Saturday.

Nova Scotia has been encouraging asymptomatic testing, especially for those with a large number of close contacts due to work or social activities, and have been holding popup and mobile testing options.

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“I want to thank the Nova Scotians who have responded in great numbers to get tested, setting a one-day record at the lab,” said Premier Iain Rankin in a news release.

“Let’s continue to make proactive testing a top priority. No matter whether you live in Halifax or elsewhere in the province, I encourage you, even if you don’t have symptoms, to book an appointment at one of the primary assessment centres or drop into a popup testing site.”

6:48 Coronavirus: Nova Scotia premier announces new restrictions, says virus ‘making a comeback’

New restrictions, including earlier closing times for restaurants and avoiding non-essential travel, were announced Friday in Halifax Regional Municipality amid an uptick of COVID cases.

Nova Scotia’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Robert Strang, stresses that while case numbers are low today, people “must remain vigilant and keep following the restrictions to ensure our communities stay safe.”

Appointments for tests can be booked at https://covid-self-assessment.novascotia.ca/ , by choosing the asymptomatic option.

Meanwhile, information on rapid testing popups can be found at https://www.nshealth.ca/coronavirustesting .