Nova Scotia reports 3 new COVID-19 variant cases in individuals outside the province

Nova Scotia health officials reported three new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday and said all three cases are the B.1.1.7 variant.

The cases are residents of Nova Scotia but are currently out of province, according to public health.

“These cases have no known close contacts in Nova Scotia,” read a release.

As of Thursday, the total number of cases of the B.1.1.7 variant, first identified in the U.K., in Nova Scotia is 44. The number of cases of the B.1.351 variant identified in South Africa is still 10.

Thursday morning, restrictions to the New Brunswick border were reinstated, making it mandatory for N.B. travellers to self-isolate for 14 days upon entry to Nova Scotia.

Premier Iain Rankin made the call to reinstate restrictions on Tuesday, less than a week before Atlantic premiers agreed to reopen the bubble on April 19. The decision was made due to an outbreak of a COVID-19 variant in the Edmundston region in New Brunswick.

“Today the restrictions on the New Brunswick border have been reinstated,” Rankin said in a news release.

“Our strong adherence to public health protocols has helped us limit the spread of the virus and it is important that we remain diligent to keep our communities safe.”

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Nova Scotia currently has 42 known active cases of COVID-19.

The province completed 2,770 Nova Scotia tests on Wednesday, for a total of 336,823 tests since the start of the second wave on Oct. 1.

There have been 697 positive COVID-19 cases and one death in the second wave, says public health.

Four people are in hospital as of Thursday, but none are in intensive care.

Nova Scotia has administered 182,867 doses of COVID-19 vaccine and 31,998 Nova Scotians have received their second dose.